I Am Without A Voice
by Anni12
Summary: And suddenly I just knew. I was falling for him. I was falling hard for him. No—no… that didn't cover the feelings that sprouted in my chest as we stood there together. And as I thought about it, the more I was certain. I loved him. And he could never love me back.
1. Prologue

**_Hey Guys! It's me again(: Some of you are probably pissed off at me for deleting my stories, I know, and I'm sorry. I've decided to post this story again, and probably only this story because it was the most popular and it's the one I really plan on finishing. I plan on rewriting some of the other ones, or finishing them, but I've found it really hard to write more than 1 story at a time, and I've got like 20 or more! But this one is the longest, and my favorite c: I plan on getting it published, and my friend-specifically one- kept telling me that it was going to get stolen-it was gonna get stolen, someone was going to take it. And I believed him. So, I took them off, but continued to write it. But I was recently told that if I wanted a career as a writer-and I do, then I was going to have to get my name out there, regardless of the risks. But tell me, would you guys buy this book if it was on the market? Just askin c: Anyways! If you see this story-or anything like it-somewhere else, know that it's mine and I wrote it first c: MINE! :D Anyways, enjoy once again c: _**

**_For those of you who read this before, I stopped on Chapter 9, so if you want to skip to Chapter 10, you are more than welcome to, and I will post Chapter 11 soon after everyone learns of this story again._**

**_Review, please! :D_**

**_~Anni12_**

Prologue

I'm the girl in the back of the classroom who never raises her hand although she knows the correct answer. I'm the type of girl who never wears skinny jeans or high heels or anything that's in style. I'm the nerd with straight A's in the honor and AP classes.

I'm the shy girl who has no friends, who talks to no one. I'm the girl who wears long sleeves and jeans even on the hottest days to cover up the black and purple bruises spotting my skin. I'm the girl who no one has heard utter a word their whole life. I never speak to anyone.

I am the girl without a voice.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

No one ever moves to my small town, especially in the middle of the semester. But more than a few U-HAUL trucks were passing my road and still coming. Finally, just when I was getting curious, the line ended with a dark blue Ford F-150 pulling a trailer. Even in the faint morning light, I could see horses in the trailer. The horse farm—just a couple blocks over from us—was for sale. It was a huge ranch with rolling hills perfect for grazing horses. The yellow ranch house was surrounded by woods, which most of the town was. The town, Sunset Valley, was set right in the middle of a huge patch of forest. Not a lot of people knew about this place, since the major highway that leads out was a dirt road. Only a few people lived here, but most worked in the next town over, or online. The closest civilization was a small city, Wal-Mart being the biggest market in it. What would it matter with one more family in town? Besides, I wasn't even sure if they had a kid our age. Might just be a couple with some money wanting to live in a small town. I rolled my eyes at myself as I slipped on my favorite pair of sweatpants. I wouldn't talk to any new kid anyways—

"Danny, get your a** down here and cook breakfast! We're starving just because you feel like sleeping in!" I flinched at my father's voice and squeaked audibly, although he couldn't hear it. I knew he didn't expect me to reply—since I never did—but that meant I had at most thirty seconds, or less considering his mood, to get down. So, I grabbed my shoes, and my bag filled with my school books and hurried down the stairs. When I stepped into the kitchen I was greeted with a hand to the cheek lightly, at least for my father. "You're late," he growled.

I closed my eyes tight and nodded, touching my hot cheek with my cool fingers in hope to cool it down. It didn't help at all. I threw my stuff out onto the chair into the living room and glanced at my beautiful sister sitting expectantly at the kitchen table, applying hordes of makeup. She hardly looked at me before answering my unasked question. "Eggs and yogurt. On the double, since you were late." She scowled quickly at me before going back to her makeup. I sighed lowly and nodded, getting out the skillet and placing it on the stove. I looked at her again as I got out the eggs.

She sighed irritably and rolled her eyes. "Sunny side up, like always." She blinked her big, mascara clouded brown eyes to herself in the tiny mirror she held in front of her. She ran her fingers through her long curly highlighted blond hair and fluffed it up. She had the perfect body that teenage guys loved, and showed it off a little too much. But the guys didn't seem to mind.

I fixed it exactly like she liked it, placing a cup of yogurt in front of her, only 80 calories of course, while I cooked the eggs. I made another for me, two for Father, and one for Mother; I could hear her in the shower. I put them all on a plate, getting the four pieces of toast and two glasses of orange juice for my parents. I took the plate for Father and gave it to him, who accepted it without an ounce of thanks in his dark blue eyes that swarmed with anger just like a tornado. I placed Mother's on the empty place at the table, along with their two glasses. I ate mine quickly, hardly chewing and went into the living room to put on my tennis shoes. I pushed my straight chocolate brown bangs behind my ear (although they didn't quite reach) and tied my shoes. I flicked my hair behind my back as I stood. My eyes were almost the exact same color as my hair, the same big brown eyes my sister had. Although I didn't cover my lashes with mascara, only a little (something my mother made me do). I reached in my bag for my iPod, and, when I found it, plugged it in my ears. Putting the MP3 Player in my pocket, I slung my bag over my shoulder and rushed out the door. Walking to and from school was my favorite part of the day, since Destiny wouldn't bother giving me a ride. But I honestly didn't mind. It was only when the weather was bad that I would want a ride; although I knew she would never give me one. She didn't want anybody knowing she was related to me, even though half of the school knew already. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the cool air nipping slightly at my skin, indicating the coming winter. The falling snow, the Christmas trees, the cool weather… I loved it all.

When the loud voices and blaring car horns interrupted my music, I knew I was already at the school. I looked up to see Destiny and her boyfriend, Jake making out just outside her car. I scowled and walked past them briskly, taking out my earphones and placing my iPod back into my bag. I walked up to my locker and slowly opened it. As I switched out my morning and afternoon notebooks, I heard a shoulder connect with the locker next to mine. I looked up to see Jake's dark blue eyes smirking down at me. The top of his black hair was spiked up. I blinked at him, confused as to why he was here, looking as if he wanted to talk to me. Not that I would answer.

I closed my locker door and put my bag over my shoulder again, beginning to turn away. Jake grabbed my upper arm in a tight grip to stop me. I winced and froze in place. "Aren't you going to say hi to me?" He asked in a charming voice. I wanted to rip my arm from his grasp, but I was scared he would just do something worse.

I shook my head and closed my eyes. But they flew open as he pushed me up against the lockers, releasing my arm from his grip and instead placing it just above my head. His other arm held my waist, trapping me in. My heart hammered in the throat, fear gripping me in its tight claws. His eyes hungrily searched my body up and down, and his hand slid up under my shirt. My eyes flickered around for someone to help me, or a teacher to stop him. "Aw, c'mon, that's not very polite. Just say something, anything. C'mon, virgin." He teased. I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth. It was something the whole school teased me about, something I was proud of. I didn't want to be anything like my family. Everything they did, I did the opposite. They curse, I don't. They take advantage of the opposite gender every time they can, I don't. Every word that comes out of their mouth is hurtful, so I just don't speak. I pushed him away, something I knew I would regret later, but I didn't care. He scowled at me. I tightened my grip on my bag and took a step away when a shrill voice stopped me.

"Danny, you w****, what do you think you're doing with my boyfriend!" My sister, Destiny shrieked, stomping over to me. I flinched at her words and she pointed a perfectly manicured finger in my face. "You are _so_ gonna get it tonight." She growled, huffed, took Jake's hand and led him away. My hands were already trembling when Jake looked back at me and winked before kissing Destiny on the head and pulling her tighter to him by wrapping his arm around her waist.

My hands were still shaking when I sat down at my empty table in U.S. History class. Slowly, and steadily, I took my notebook out, opened it up to a new page and pulled out a pencil. The thoughts that were running through my mind were not good, and scared me to death. My father punching me in the eye, in the stomach, kicking me everywhere his feet could reach. All of them ended with me bloodied, bruised, and defeated when I had done nothing wrong. At the back of the class, I hung my head in my hands, trying to calm down. Tears sprung in my eyes, but I held them back. _Not in school. Not here._ Once my hands had steadied some, I began to take the notes scribbled on the board about the Civil War. I was done before the bell rung, and flipped to the back of the notebook and continued writing my short stories. My stories were where I wasn't hit, I could actually speak to people without being scared, a world where I had a boyfriend—a good one. These stories, the books I read, my music…they were the only escape I had. And I loved every minute of it.

"Miss Kimble," a deep voice said, bringing me back into my miserable world. I looked up into my teacher's hazel eyes hidden behind black rimmed glasses. I blinked at him to indicate I was listening. He sighed. "Miss Kimble, we are going to be having a new student coming into our class tomorrow. I wanted you to know he would be sitting next to you."

_He?_ My eyes widened and I shook my head. I was happy sitting by myself. This was my favorite class; he couldn't ruin it by pacing a new kid next to me! A _boy_ no less! He was going to ask me so many questions, and I wouldn't be able to answer him. No, I could not sit next to a new kid.

Mr. Louis shrugged. "I'm sorry, Danny, but we have no other room for him." he looked like he wanted to pat me on my shoulder or something, but he knew I didn't like to be touched. "I'll inform him of your…_speech_ _impediment_." _That'll just make him ask more questions!_ I thought, my shoulders dipping. I ran my fingers through my hair as he turned around and left, strolling back up to the front and beginning the lesson.

I had seen the trailers passing my home earlier today, but I didn't think there would _actually_ be a new kid! A new kid in Sunset High School was almost unheard of. Something that almost never happened. Everyone would be falling all over him, no matter how cute or ugly he was. And that meant everyone would be over at my table for 1st period. People would expect me to maybe talk to him, make him seem welcome here. He would be talking to me all period, wanting me to reply. But I wouldn't. I mean, I did have a notebook that I could write to him on, but that seemed unlikely.

Later, my third period teacher told the class the same thing, that a new student would be arriving tomorrow and he was going to sit in the desk right in front of mine (since I was in the back again). She looked right at me when she told the class to take a welcoming to him and show him around. I love all my teachers, and they loved me like they do all the kids, and they want me to talk again. The second half of my freshman year was when I decided that not talking was better than talking at all. It got me into less trouble. I had always been a little sassy when I did talk, and that got me a lot of bruises from my family. I was in the first half of my junior year now, and Destiny was in her senior year. I did her homework for her, since I had already taken her classes. The same teachers usually taught multiple grades and classes in this school since we were always short of teachers. Mrs. Cadwell, my third period teacher, also taught Biology, which I had in fact taken my freshman year. She had heard my voice, but now I had none.

…

Destiny had been right for once. The first thing Father did when I got home was grab my throat, and throw me against the wall. I had whimpered, dropped my bag, and clutched at the wall. Now I was soaking in my bathtub with bruises around my throat, arms, chest, and basically anywhere and everywhere. My iPod was playing 'Someone Like You' by Adele on the counter, and I had my eyes closed and was mouthing along to it. It was only around four o'clock, and I was planning on going out to the park and writing. The park right behind our house was nestled into the ring of woods behind our house. With that in mind, I climbed out, put on thick sweatpants, a tee shirt, a warm jacket, and slipped on my tennis shoes.

I grabbed my notebook and snuck out the back door with my iPod in my ears. I ran until I was safely hidden in the woods. It was then that I slowed down and walked, listening to my music and thinking ahead to what I was going to write. Suddenly, I tripped over something, hearing a yelp. I gasped as I fell to the ground, throwing my hands out in front of me. There was rustling in the leaves and a couple deep barks. A tinier, shriller voice answered with a whimper. I glanced around for the thing that whimpered and my eyes met with a little gray wolf pup. I gasped and backed away on my hands. His coat was a dark gray, lighter on his belly and muzzle and his eyes were a hazel. He was what I must have tripped over. He bared his small, white canines at me and let out a tiny growl. It wasn't intimidating at all, but I knew when there was a pup, the mother or nanny was never far away. A howl sounded through the air, others soon joining in, and the little pup howled in reply. I couldn't move. The whole pack. The _whole pack_ was coming for this little guy to make sure he was safe. And both my feet and hands were frozen to the ground. My pencil, the only sort of weapon I had, was hooked to the spirals in my notebook, which was ten feet away. I glanced at it, but I couldn't reach it in time.

A louder, more intimidating growl made me whip my head around. My brown hair slapped me, the wind blowing it across my face. My eyes met a huge, muscular pitch black wolf with startling bright blue eyes that no one could help but notice. They were the kind of eyes that stood out against anything, the most brilliant blue I had ever seen. The growl died as I stared at the huge wolf that had to be a male. I hardly noticed that my hands weren't shaking, like they normally would be. It would be later when I realized I wasn't scared, but captivated. His lips covered the huge white fangs again and he just stared back, his ears flicking every once in a while. The pup crawled under him for protection.

I started when something growled to my left, whipping around to find a bluish gray female baring her teeth at me. Her muscles twitched in anticipation as she crouched in order to attack me. The black wolf barked and growled again, and my heart jumped in fear this time. But the bark was directed at the smaller, grayer female. She stood up straight and tilted her head slightly, her ears flicking in confusion. When I returned my gaze to the black wolf, I realized he was closer to me, only a foot away. I swallowed and my heart began beating faster and faster as he glanced at me. His eyes glanced all over the forest, showing his teeth. I glanced around with him, seeing the bright eyes of a whole wolf pack. My breathing spiked as my wolf—which is what I had decided to call him—growled at his pack and circled me. The fur of his tail brushed my arm, sending shivers up my spine. Slowly, the other wolves left, leaving me alone with just the black wolf, sitting and staring at me with his tongue lolled out in a grin. Suddenly, he closed his mouth and sniffed the air. Carefully and slowly, he stepped up to me and touched his cool, wet nose to my knee, moving my sweatpants. Cautiously, I leaned over and rolled up both my pants legs, revealing tiny, bleeding cuts on my knees. I inhaled sharply as he began to lick the wounds, making them sting. I wiped my hands on my shirt and held them up to my face to see the same kind of cuts. A pink tongue interrupted my vision, cleaning the wounds on my hands also. I couldn't help but laugh, which made him stop and glance up at me curiously before continuing. I forgot about the inch long fangs in the wolf's muzzle and used my free hand to run my fingers through his fur.

He shivered underneath my touch, leaning into my hand. The top cot was long and ruff for the upcoming winter, but the bottom coat was soft for insulation. I know I should've been scared, but I wasn't. I just kept petting him like a long lost dog. _This is definitely going in a story._ I told myself, breathing in his musky wolf scent of the forest. I heard him sigh and sit down next to me. With both of us sitting down, we were just the same height. I flinched when he touched a fresh bruise on my arm, and he stepped back, eyeing me.

"Danny! Where the h*** are you?!" My father roared from my house.

There's one thing I forgot to mention about myself. I do talk, just not to people. I talk to myself sometimes, or an animal that can't talk back. "Oh no," I whispered. I wrapped my hands around my knees and placed my chin on them, deciding whether or not to go back.

My wolf flicked his ears and glanced back at my father's voice. _Who is that? I really gotta learn these woods quick. Where did she come from? I wonder what her name is…_The wolf's eyes were back on mine and I was staring wide-eyed at him.

Automatically, I couldn't speak from the shock that a wolf was talking to me, which meant he could make a conversation just like a human. I couldn't talk to him now. It was the only time I was scared. But, like always, I replied with my thoughts instead of my words. _Danny. My name is Danny. I don't want to go home. I want to stay out here. I don't want to go back._ I repeated. I didn't think he would actually hear me too.

He whined, stood up and stepped back. _You can hear me?_

I nodded shakily, my hands trembling now.

He backed up, shaking his head low. _No. You have to forget. You have to forget this night ever happened, Danny. You can't tell_ anyone_, do you understand? It would be best for you just to forget this night. _He kept backing up deeper into the forest where I could hardly see him, except for those luminescent blue eyes still staring at me.

_Wait! I don't want to forget. I won't tell anyone, I swear. _

_That's what everyone says. _He growled.

_Really, I swear. I can't. I don't speak—I can't. I'm too scared. _It was the first time I had ever admitted it to anyone.

He stopped and he blinked. _What? A teenage girl who doesn't speak? Are you serious, or just joking me?_

_I'm serious. I have no friends, hardly a family if you can even call them that. I won't tell anyone. And trust me, no matter how hard I try, I can't forget this. _

_But you're talking to me. Right now. _

_You're a wolf! And somehow we're talking in our thoughts, not speaking._

_Whatever. I have to go. Please, just try to forget this!_

_Wait! _I screamed in my head so loud he had to stop. _Do you have a name?_

_If I told you, you would just have to forget it. It's best if I don't tell you right now._

_Wait! Wait, no please tell me! _ But he didn't respond. "Didn't even say goodbye…" I sighed.

"DANNY! I know you're out there! Get your f****** a** back here NOW!" _Oh no…_ As I stood, I found myself wishing I had my wolf back to save me again. I stood up and ran back, seeing my father red-faced standing in the doorway. My fear pumping heart caught in my throat as his eyes caught mine. Still, I buckled my shoulders and kept walking. He stomped down the stairs with his fists clenched. I stopped and he walked the rest of the way to me. He grabbed my shirt and pulled me close to his face. "Where the h*** have you been, Danny?!"

My whole body was shaking. After I didn't answer, his fist connected with my eye, sending me to the ground. I yelped and instinctively covered my eye. A burning pain erupted in my stomach and I screamed. I pulled my knees up to my chest to protect my stomach, but it didn't stop him. He pushed me with his heel onto my back and began kicking my side. I whimpered and my mind flashed to my wolf. _Save me. Please. Save me._ But he never came, and I began wondering if it _was_ just a dream…

…

_I screamed and clutched my stomach as my vicious father kicked me relentlessly. The grass itched at my exposed skin, my head pounded, and my whole body ached. He yelled, but I couldn't hear him. I could see his mouth moving, his eyebrows coming together in anger, but no words came out of his mouth. He froze as a growl split through the air. He screamed and started running inside, but a large black wolf tackled him. Immediately, I screamed at him to stop, and thankfully he did. Those eyes turned to face me, his huge paws holding my father down. Tears were rolling down my face. "Please, don't hurt him. He's still my father. Please." The wolf glanced back at my father and showed him his teeth before stepping off of him. He screamed and ran away. The wolf padded up to me, putting his nose to my cheek. _

Are you okay, Danny? Please, tell me you're okay._ He whined, kneading the ground. _

_I whimpered, clutching my stomach. _I think so.

Why does he do this, Danny? Why doesn't he love you? Why does he love Destiny more than you? _He asked. But I don't remember telling him about Destiny. _

_I don't know. I don't know. You didn't save me. You…didn't…_

"B****, get up! Now! I'm f****** hungry!" Destiny was shaking my shoulders, making my muscles ache even more than they already did. I rolled out from under her, ignoring my protesting muscles. "I want my normal. Now, go and make it before I get Daddy to beat you're a** _again_."

I nodded and stood up reluctantly. She 'huffed' and strutted back inside. I limped back inside and made her stupid eggs, a story running through my mind about the wolf I thought I had met last night. I wasn't exactly sure if it was a dream or not, but I couldn't forget those eyes as much as I knew I needed to. I almost burnt her eggs, but managed not to. I didn't eat breakfast, but I made everyone else's and ran upstairs and changed into one of my many turtlenecks, jeans, and tennis shoes. I slung my bag over my shoulder and ran down the stairs and out the door before anyone was even done with dinner. Pulling out my iPod, I plugged my earphones in and turned it on. Luke Bryan blasted out with 'I Don't Want This Night To End.'

I think Destiny and Jake were going to make this a routine thing, making out by her car every morning. Again, I scowled as I walked by, millions of hushed whispered floating in from every direction. I glanced around, thinking that maybe they were talking about me. I pulled my turtle neck up further to hide the bruises my father had given me. Again, I switched my books at my locker, glancing around for Jake. Thankfully he didn't come again. _Maybe, just maybe I can go a day without a beating. _I thought hopefully, and hurried to first period. I sat in my back table and pulled out my notebook, not bothering to look up at the board to see if there were any notes.

Since there were no new notes, I pulled up my bag, pulling out my notebook. But it wasn't there. I gasped. _No!_ _This could not be happening! I cannot lose my notebook! _Everything _was in there._

_Lookin' for somethin'? _My wolf's voice asked. I froze.

_What? I thought you weren't talking to me anymore. _I said, feeling like an idiot.

_Hey, don't feel stupid. This is new to me too. Besides, I got bored, and I started hearin' your thoughts this mornin'._

_WHAT! WHEN? I don't want you listening to my thoughts! _I whined, while still looking for my notebook. I gasped. _You. I forgot my notebook when I met you! I tripped over the pup and it flew away from me!_

_Oh, that's what that was? That's yours? I only started hearin' your thoughts when you started lookin' for something—your notebook, I guess. I don't know how or why we can do this, since you're not a wolf. I'll have to ask my father if maybe you can block me out… you don't enjoy our conversations?_

_Well no, I mean yes—I mean…agh, I _do_ but I have private thoughts that I don't want other people knowing. And, obviously, you're _not_ a _normal _wolf, because you know English._

_Eh, smart girl. _I blinked at his compliment.

_Are you being sarcastic? _I asked in a low whisper.

_What? Naw, of course not. You're very smart. Not a lot of humans would come to that conclusion. Most would just think they're crazy._

_I am defiantly not like other humans._

_Mhm… if you know I'm not a normal wolf… then what do you think I am?_

_I don't know… that's when I start to think I am just a bit crazy._

He laughed and I realized it was one of the most beautiful sounds I had ever heard. _So I'm guessin' you didn't forget me?_

_I tried, I promise. Last night I began to think it was just a dream, but you ruined it this morning._

_Oh, dang… But, seriously, it really would be better if you forgot about me and my pack. _

_I can't forget now, with you talking to me in my thoughts!_

_Right. Sorry. I'll get to class… have a nice day, Danny. Try to maybe block me from your thoughts—for practice._

_It's what I do best. _I sighed and put my bag down on the floor. I imagined a wall going up around me to shield my wolf from my thoughts. Hopefully, it would work. I glanced up as the room went silent. I can honestly say my mouth dropped open. Those brilliant brighter-than-the-sky blue eyes stared back at me, but from a teenage boy. _Oh, no, the new kid..._ I thought. His chestnut hair was short, and had a little flip in the front. He was gorgeous, with his broad shoulders and strong arms; arms that I could imagine falling into. Ah, what was I thinking? I couldn't talk to him. I couldn't handle people touching me. There were two problems with him; one, he was surrounded by girls, including my sister. Two, he was frowning at me, almost scowling.

"Girls," I heard a new, deep voice say. I looked down at the table, almost blushing. I pulled out a piece of paper and started on a new story I had been thinking about ever since I had met my wolf.

_The huge black wolf crouched down, his beautiful blue eyes locked on his pray. A white rabbit nibbled on its last meal, its ears twitching, awaiting a sound that never came. His muscles clenched before springing onto the hare, sinking his teeth into its neck—_

"Hello," the same, deep voice interrupted me. I froze and glanced up to see those blue eyes staring at me as he sat down. I gulped, staring at him too.

"Mr. Miller," the teacher said, coming up to us. He glanced at me before returning his gaze to the boy next to me.

"Joshua," he corrected, "My name is Joshua." He said, glancing up at me. I realized he had a slight southern accent mixing in with his voice.

He nodded, putting his hands on the table and leaning forward. "Well, Joshua, this is Danny. She doesn't speak much, and she's terribly shy, so you probably won't get a word out of her. Try all you like, but she only nods or shakes her head. But of course no one knows why." He shrugged.

Joshua nodded and gazed at me. "I wonder why." He said, but Mr. Louis had already left.

"I prefer to be called Josh; it's what all my family calls me." He said, smiling.

I nodded, giving him a small, shy smile.

"And you like bein' called Danny? Is that your real name?" he asked.

I was proud of my name. It fit me. I nodded again, my smile growing.

His beautiful blue eyes glanced down at my lips. "You have a beautiful smile." He said.

It died. No one _ever_ compliments me. But now two people had complimented me in just a few minutes. He moved suddenly, leaning forward on the desk, making me flinch backwards. His eyes narrowed in question, but he didn't question anything. Blushing, I returned to my spare piece of paper.

My wolf didn't say anything to me, but I longed to hear his voice and have a real conversation again. He was the only person I could talk to and not be so self-conscious about what I say. For some reason, I don't worry about him hitting me, or touching me. He was the only person I could speak to, but I didn't know his name, let alone know if I could even _call_ him a person. I didn't know what he was—but the idea of him being a werewolf was absurd. _Forget it._ I thought. _It ain't gonna change anything._ But something told me this wolf was going to change my life—for good or for bad, I didn't know.

Josh leaned in next to me and whispered, "You like history?"

I glanced at him and shrugged.

"Do you _have_ any friends, Danny?" he asked sincerely.

I looked down, blushed, and shook my head. "Did you speak?" he asked. I sighed and nodded. _Once,_ I thought ruefully, flinching as horrid memories flashed through my mind. He reached out and pulled up my sleeve, revealing five long, slender bruises from where my father had pinned my wrist up against the wall and threatened to rape me. Of course he didn't, because even he had lines that he wouldn't cross. And that was one of them. "What happened?" he questioned, bringing his eyebrows together and gazing at me with those eyes.

I froze, and my fingers began trembling as I was transported back to my nightmares. I whimpered, but instinctively did not try to remove my hand from his grip. It was gentle, but in my mind, it was my father's large, strong fingers choking me again. The wall that I had imagined crumbled to the ground._ Please let go of me,_ I thought. Immediately, Josh's hand returned to his side of the table.

_Danny! _My wolf cried. _Are you alright? Did someone hurt you? _He growled.

_I-I'm… f-fin-e. _I stuttered, overwhelmed with fear.

_Tell me who hurt you, Danny._ He demanded, and I could hear anger seeping into his voice. I glanced over at Josh, who was gazing at me, his eyes now hard and curious.

_I-I… I can't do that. I ne-need something t-to call you. _I said, needing to change the subject.

I heard him sigh in his thoughts. _Depends on what you think I am. I _really_ wish you'd tell me who hurt you, Danny._ I took a deep breath to steady myself.

_I really wish I could too, but I don't even know why you care so much. _

_Neither do I… ugh, fine, Danny. _I loved the way he said my name. _But, seriously, what _do_ you think I am?_

_Well…a wolf that knows English, can speak it well, _acts_ human… werewolf makes sense, but that's impossible. I think… you aren't a werewolf, are you? Please tell me I'm not crazy._

_You seem to bounce back from fear very fast. Almost like…you experience it a lot. _

_You didn't answer my question._ I said, ignoring his assumption.

He sighed again. _Fine. Yes, I'm a werewolf. And no, you're not crazy. _

I gulped and placed my head down on the table. My shoulders shook faintly. _Does that mean you have a human form too?_ I didn't like that. It made my wolf seem more…_real._ Like he wasn't just mine, but other people—humans—actually knew him. It just made it that much harder to talk to him.

_Yes, I do. I don't use it much, since we still act like a wolf when we are human. But these days, it's the only way we can live comfortably._

_We?_

_My pack and I._

_Your pack?_

_Yes, _my_ pack. I am the alpha. You know about wolves?_

_Yes, but…aren't you a little young to be alpha of an entire pack?_

_I'm almost eighteen. _He said defensively. _Besides, I'm not the alpha of an _entire _pack. Only the youth pack. As soon as one of us starts shifting, they officially belong to my pack and not my father's. Eventually, we'll move up as the older generation begins to die out and become the elder pack. It's all very complicated when you haven't grown up with it._

_Uh…okay?_

He laughed. _See? Very complicated. _

_Who are you in human form?_

_I can't tell you that._

_Why not?_

_If it gets out that werewolves live amongst humans…it wouldn't be pretty._

_World War III? _I asked, considering me clever since I was in history class. I snickered.

_Exactly. _He agreed.

_And if I guess?_

_I wouldn't answer correctly; it's that much of a secret. Sucks really, but it's needed. But if you ask me, or tell me when you're certain, _out loud_, then I promise I will answer truthfully. I swear._

_Out loud? _I squeaked.

_You gotta come out of your shell sometime, Danny. _

_You don't understand! I don't speak just because I'm shy! _Please_. _

…_then why don't you speak?_

_That's my problem. _I whispered.

_Why can't it be mine too?_

_Because you wouldn't understand! No one would. It's _my_ life. Not yours. Let me handle it. I don't even know your name; I still don't even know what to call you! _ I ranted.

_Are you done, or do you still need to fume to someone that will actually listen? _He didn't ask it sarcastically, but like he really wanted me to talk to him about anything and everything.

_I'm done,_ I whispered, lowering my eyes to the tiled floor.

_Really. I'm here if you need me._

_I still don't know what to call you…_ I was so embarrassed; I could feel my cheeks heating up.

_Er… Alpha? Wolf? I don't know._

_I kinda like Wolf…makes you seem like the big bad wolf in an old fairy tale that everyone's afraid of. I think I'll just stick with my wolf. _

_So I'm your wolf? _He chuckled.

_Yes. And don't you dare say you're not, or I swear I'll burst out crying right now. You're the only person I've had a real conversation with for almost two and a half years._

_Fine, okay, I'm _your_ wolf. _He laughed, but it sounded more like a scoff. _Whatever makes you happy is fine by me._

_Will I ever see you in your human form?_

_Like I said, you're a smart girl…figure it out._

_And when I do?_

_I have no idea._

"Hey, Danny, do you text?" Josh asked me, tilting his head towards me.

I shrugged. He held out his left hand to me, a sharpie in his right. "May I see your hand?"

I blinked and hesitated before placing my hand in his. He scribbled numbers on the back of my hand. "Text me—or call me if you finally want to talk—anytime." He winked. I blushed faintly and nodded, pulling my tingling hand back to me.

_I just got someone's number… a guy's number! _Internally, I squealed, and smiled.

My wolf spoke again, saying sarcastically, _You might want to block me out again; I don't think you wanted me to hear that._

_Hey…that's so not fair!_

He just laughed.

_Do you go to this school, Wolf? Haha. Sounds weird, doesn't it?_

_Just a little bit._ He laughed with me._ But, yea, I do._

_Yes! That narrows it down even more. _

_Sure, okay. Good luck, Danny. Don't forget to text Joshua…_


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Second period English was _the most_ boring class I had ever had. But I had rather stayed for a few more minutes than get stuck up at my locker by none other than Jake. He leaned against the open side of my locker, smirking. "Hey, Mary. What're you up to?"

I scowled, but didn't even look at him as I switched out my books. I stepped back and closed my locker. Before I could step away, his arm wrapped around my waist, pulling my back to his chest. His breath was at my ears as I searched around frantically for Destiny. "I want you to meet me outside at lunch."

I shook my head immediately. His fingers tightened on my hips, and my hands shook and my palms became sweaty. "Meet me outside at lunch." He demanded. I squeaked, hoping he would take it as a yes, and scurried away from him.

I was still shaking when I sat down in third period. The desk in front of me jolted as he sat down. I glanced up, expecting to see Jake, but instead Josh smiled back at me. I breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. "Hey!" he said. "I didn't realize we had another class together."

In the middle of Josh's sentence, my wolf interrupted, saying, _I know! You can call me J! There's a lot more kids with the initial J than I realized._

_How can I hear you, J?_

_I like it, yes! You let your guard down. It may have something to do with that new kid… do you have eyes for Josh already? _He snickered.

I blushed deeply and Josh raised an eyebrow, which made me blush even more. _Hey!_

_So you do? _He chuckled.

_No—well…—no! Of course not. I haven't even said a word to him. He's just cute, that's all._

'_Oh those amazing eyes!' _he mocked.

I protested, _I do not sound like that!_

"Joshua! Can you please come up here?" Mrs. Cadwell asked. He nodded and went to stand in the front of the class. _Is there any way we can talk without you hearing my thoughts?_

_If you _spoke_ to me, then yes._

I put my head down as she introduced Joshua to the class, although everyone knew about him. _I'm sorry,_ I whispered, trying hard to not remember anything.

_How 'bout I meet you in the woods after school? Same spot where we met._

_Our spot. Sounds great! But I thought you wanted me to forget you._

_That's basically impossible now, Danny. You know me as a human, you see me every day. I trust you not to tell anyone._

_You… trust me? _I asked slowly as Josh made his way back to his seat.

_I kinda have to. Friends trust each other, right?_

I closed my eyes and smiled, but then frowned. _Not all the time._

_What, you don't trust a wolf?_ He joked.

_I have issues with that._

_Ah, I see. It's okay, I'll get through to you eventually, and I know it._

_I hope so, J._

_Glad to finally have something to call me? _He asked.

_I don't know. 'My wolf' is growing on me._

_I am yours, Danny, I promise. _He said, sounding like there was a hidden meaning inside.

_And don't you forget it._

_Never,_ he vowed.

_Don't forget; out spot right after school._ I said in a voice that made it obvious I wanted to end the conversation.

_Of course!_ He said._ Until then, Danny._

_Bye, J. _I smiled and put up the wall. _Yes!_

A white slip of paper appeared on my desk. My name was written on it with sloppy, but readable handwriting. I unfolded it, revealing a sentence that read, "Do you write?"

I glanced up at the back of Josh's head, and then up at the teacher with wide eyes "I guess so…" I wrote and folded it back up. On second thought I opened it and added, "No one's ever talked to me. Ever since I stopped talking, my 'friends' wouldn't put up with me and no one else even bothers." I then poked him with the corner of the folded paper. He reached behind his back and grabbed it, bringing it around so he could read it.

The distant chatter of Mrs. Cadwell talking stopped along with my heart. _She caught us. _I thought, glancing up. Her eyes locked with mine and the thrill of being noticed rushed through me for the first time. Before everyone else knew what was going on, she smiled and continued teaching. I sat back and drew my eyebrows together. She smiled… she caught me passing notes and smiled, like she approved. Weird.

The paper landed on my desk again. "Then they weren't really friends at all."

"Why are _you_ talking to me?" I replied.

He was very quick at responding. "No one deserves to be ignored."

"So you just feel sorry for me?"

"No! I wanted to talk to someone who wasn't falling all over me."

I frowned at the paper. He was the new guy; new, fresh meat for the girls. But he was expecting me not to have even the tiniest crush on him when he was the only guy who talks to me.

"Destiny?" I asked.

"Yes… you know her?"

"She's my sister." I wrote reluctantly.

"_Her? She's _your_ sister?_"

"Unfortunately…and her boyfriend wants to meet me during lunch. I don't know what he wants, but I don't think I want to."

"Do you want me to go with you?"

"You'd do that?"

"Well, yes. It seems like this guy scares you."

"He does. A lot." Well, that was kid of the truth. The thought of Destiny catching us scared me more than he did, but he did still scare me.

"You scare easily, don't you?"

"Yea,"

"So are you gonna tell me why you don't speak out loud?"

"It's personal, Josh."

He sighed lowly. "Okay," he wrote a minute later. I was afraid he would bring up me not talking again, so I didn't respond. Instead, I put it in my bag for later. Something to remember a conversation by.

Joshua walked with me to the cafeteria, but it still felt like I wasn't there. All the pretty girls were surrounding him, flirting like there was no tomorrow. He was smiling, and being polite, but I could tell he wasn't enjoying the attention like any other guy would. One clasped his hand in hers, and a hot pain flashed through my stomach. Someone clutched my arm rightly, making me go stiff as I walked. Destiny's shrill voice hissed in my ear, "You try _anything_, and you are dead. You understand me? He's mine. You have no chance with the new boy. So don't even try. He's gonna want a _pretty_ girl, not some shy little w**** who wants attention." No one else seemed to hear her little rant of power, and I just nodded. I knew I didn't have a chance at getting a boyfriend, and I wasn't going to try, but she was too stupid to realize that. I slowed, letting the group I had no reason being with pass me. I walked slower, looking down at my feet.

Reluctantly, I made my way out the cafeteria doors toward the old willow tree planted in remembrance of those who died on 9/11. Jake was already waiting for me, leaning against the tree like he owned it and it meant nothing else. He smirked at me as I approached. "Danny!" he greeted.

Normally, I would've nodded, but this time I didn't do anything. I stopped ten feet from him. He smiled devilishly and closed the distance between us. His hand trailed up my stomach. "Look, so you know the new kid?" he asked.

Shakily, I nodded, wishing I had brought Josh along. But then Destiny surely would've noticed.

"He's…attracted the attention of all the girls, including Destiny." He was playing with my shirt. "Little w****," he muttered under his breath, "I plan on getting her back—I have to make her jealous. You know how I'm gonna do that?" he asked.

I shook my head slowly, wishing I wouldn't have to know.

"I'm going to use you—you're gonna be my girlfriend until Destiny comes crawling back." I backed away, shaking my head frantically. Being his 'girlfriend' meant more than just holding hands, kissing, and dates to Jake. It meant sex and there was no getting out of it with him.

He lashed out, grabbing me by the upper arms. "Now you listen to me, b****, it wasn't a question, and I don't care if you like it or not." He growled. His hands tightened on my arms against fresh bruises.

_J?_ I whimpered in my head.

He responded immediately, and surprisingly I calmed just a little. _Danny? Danny, what's wrong? Where are you?_

_He-he's ta-touching me, an-and it-it hu-hurts. _I couldn't think straight.

_Who? Who's hurting you? Where are you? _

Suddenly, I didn't know where I was. I could see Jake in front of me waiting for an answer. The willow tree! I could see a willow tree behind him. _T-the will-willow tre-tree. Ple-please…help me._

_I'm coming. I will be there for you. Always._ He said.

"What's going on here?" someone growled behind us, sounding _nothing_ like my wolf. Still, I breathed a sigh of relief and turned around as Jake's hands dropped from my arms. Josh had his arms crossed over his chest, glaring at Jake. When he dropped them and touched my waist gently, I didn't flinch. He pulled me behind him and stepped up to Jake. He was taller than Jake, so much that he looked down at him.

Disgusted, Jake said, "What do you want? This ain't any of your f****** business." I flinched at his words.

"I want you to keep your filthy hands offa her." Josh growled.

Jake looked him up and down, and then scowled. "Don't get your hopes up."

Josh whipped around. "C'mon Danny," he said, placing a gentle hand on the small of my back. I stuck close to him and tried not to look back at my sister's boyfriend. His hand on my back was oddly comforting. I grabbed his hand when it dropped as we walked through the doors. Raising an eyebrow, he looked at me questionably. I smiled shyly, hoping he saw the thanks in my eyes.

He smiled. "Hey, no problem. Somebody's gotta stick up…ta him." something told me he didn't want to say 'to him.'

My hands were still shaking, my heart was still hammering, and I was still scared. But I let him lead me over to an empty table with _two_ trays of food on it. I glanced at him, furrowing my eyebrows.

He shrugged. "I figured you were hungry." I gave him a small smile and sat down. But I couldn't eat; my hands were shaking too much. I stared at my food, trying to think about my stories, but my mind kept drifting to Jake. I would imagine him grabbing me, hissing in my ear, and throwing me on the ground before I caught myself. Finally, when it went a little too far, I flinched and stood up.

"Where are you going?" Josh asked.

At the same time, my wolf asked, _Are you okay?_ I hadn't realized my wall had crashed again.

I closed my eyes and shook my head at Josh. _I'm going someplace else; anywhere but here._ I told my wolf before spinning around and hurrying, with my head down, out the door. "Honey, do you not feel good?" the woman at the desk asked when I entered the office.

Frowning, I shook my head. "Here, honey, sign out. I'll call your fourth period." I nodded.

_Are you sure you're okay, Danny?_ My wolf asked.

_I swear, one day you are going to piss me off. Could you start telling me when you hear me? And why is it that I can't hear you?_ I said as I signed out.

_Fine, I can handle that, but I like listening to you. And, honestly, I don't know. I think it's because you're not a wolf._ He said as I smiled at the woman and headed to pick up my bag.

_What's it like being a wolf?_ I asked.

_It's not as great as you think it is. Usually, we have to be more reserved from humans, but in our pack we can be ourselves. We're not allowed to do a lot of stuff, like date humans, but we can do more than humans can. It has its pros and cons._

_You mean you aren't allowed to fall in love with humans?_

_No, we're not supposed to. _He admitted as I walked in the classroom. I grabbed my bag and left.

_And what if you do? People can't control who they or anyone else choses to be with. _As soon as I got outside, I pulled out my iPod and slowed my stance. Now that I was talking to my wolf, I didn't think of Jake at all.

_Exactly,_ he agreed,_ and people get away with it by 'accidently' turning them._

_You can turn humans?_

_Of course, how do you think we exist?_

_I don't know…_ I started on the pathway home, but I stopped myself. I didn't want to go there. Instead, I turned and started through the forest.

_Why don't you wanna go home?_

_Ah! _I screamed mentally. _Dude, seriously? You have to listen to every single thought in my head?_

_Sorry, I can't help it. I'm just trying to protect you._

_You can't protect me anymore. Besides you have only known me for a day. Why do you care so much?_

_Wolves, especially alphas, are very protective…_

_Over their property. _I growled, finishing his sentence.

_Yes,_ he answered simply.

_I'm not your property! I don't belong to anyone except myself. _My pace sped up and I shifted the bag on my shoulder.

_Fine,_ he growled fiercely,_ you're not my 'property.' I just feel very protective of you._

_Wolves are protective over the ones they love. _There was a pang in my chest. _I thought you said wolves aren't allowed to love humans._

_I didn't say that!_

_You implied it._

He only growled, and I smiled. _Whatever, _he said.

_You know I'm right. _I snickered.

_Mhm,_ he hummed, _you keep thinkin' that. _After a slight pause he added, _Ugh! I am so ready to go home!_

_You'll be out in about an hour._ I teased.

_Oh haha, you're funny. We still on for this afternoon?_

_Yea… I guess. Oh shoot!_

_What?_

Turning around, I ran back through the forest. _I need to go to the store, I forgot._

_Oh. You scared me, Danny!_

_Sorry,_ I laughed,_ but I seriously got to go to the market, I'll talk to you later._

_Bye, Danny._ I put up my wall just as I broke through the line of trees. It was a small town, but very spread out. It would take a while to get to the store on the other side of town. So I turned up my iPod and quickened my pace.

…

I swear everything in this town was named after the town itself. The Sunset Valley General Store was a small, beaten up cabin type building. It didn't have everything, but it had enough food to live by. I could easily spend an hour in here with my parent credit card (which I had with me). And by the time I got out, carrying only two bags with necessities, kids from school were already roaming the streets.

_Hey, J, do you mind meeting me just behind the General Store? I _really_ don't want to go home, or anywhere near it._ I asked as I started around the building.

_Yea, sure, that's fine. It'll be a little while._ He replied suspiciously.

_Okay. Hey! Can you bring my notebook? Please! _ I begged.

I could imagine his smirk. _Hm… well…let's see… I don't know. What did you say was in it? Stories? Poems? Work?_

_Stories…_ I reluctantly answered as I slipped back into the trees.

_Can I read them?_

_No!_

_Are they about me? _He snickered.

_No, I hadn't met you yet! _I exclaimed, searching for a clearer spot in the woods without thorns or low branches.

_Aw, dang… you do realize I'm reading them, right?_

_No! No! No! No! _I begged. _Please, don't! Wait…_ I sighed,_ never mind. Those aren't my personal ones. Ah, Thank God. _When I found a pretty nice spot, I leaned against one of the bigger trees and slid to the ground.

_Haha, _he laughed.

I didn't respond. I was too busy thinking, and I didn't even know how to respond. Instinctively, the wall around my thoughts went up and I brought my legs up to my chest. I closed my eyes and rested my head on my knees, relaxing for a while.

My thoughts drifted to Jake and Joshua. Josh was by far the cutest boy in school—at least to me. Jake was cute to, but it's so different when you've grown up with that same boys. Normally, in schools people move away and new people come. Not in Sunset. No one had enough money to move away, and no one wanted to come here if they even knew about it. Josh had to be one of the first kids I know that I didn't go to preschool with. I was lucky that he talked to me, especially with Destiny having her eye on him. _Maybe I should just stay away from him_. I thought. It would get me less beatings, but then I would just be that lonely nerd in the back again that no one talks to. Besides, Destiny would make up something for Father to get mad at me anyways. But it couldn't hurt to be a little more cautious.

A twig snapped, breaking my train of thoughts. My head lifted up instinctively to find my wolf. I glanced around, but I couldn't find him. Yes, normally a wolf would've been hidden in the foliage, but this was no _normal_ wolf. He had a human mind, and he knew how to use it. A motion in the corner of my eye caught my attention. I froze; a gray wolf with a blue tint to his coat bared his teeth at me as he slowly circled the tree. He was not a large wolf, but not small either. He was obviously too big to be a female, but his teeth were the only thing I really cared about. His eyes were blue too, and it suddenly occurred to me that this could be a werewolf too; one of J's pack. His eyes were darker than J's, and he was staring at me with hunger imbedded deeply into them. It wasn't the type of hunger for food, no…it was _lustful._ He still circled me at an angle where each step brought him that much closer to me. There was something else in his eyes; mischief. For what, I didn't know. I watched him with cautious eyes, unmoving, because I couldn't. His ears flickered and I swear the corner of his lips picked up in a smirk. Suddenly, he stopped, and sniffed the air. Growling, his eyes caught mine and he leapt, his jaws opening.

A black blur flew through the air, and the gray wolf grunted when the blur hit him, sending him flying away from me. There was a deep, hearty growl to my left, and I looked over to see that huge black wolf holding down the other with his paws. He growled again, showing his pure white teeth. The gray wolf struggled under him, but J snapped his jaws, making him still. The gray wolf glanced at me, and _winked_, before squirming out from under J and dashing out into the forest. The black wolf's hackles were raised and his ears were still pressed to his head when he turned towards me. His bright blue eyes were still wary and glancing back as he padded up to me. Hesitantly, I let my wall down so I could talk to him. _Was he a part of your pack?_ It was only when he stood almost inches from me when I realized my hands were shaking.

He sighed, lowering his head and visibly relaxing. _Yes, he's my—never mind. I don't want to tell you that. _His eyes glanced up at me. _Are you okay?_

I wrapped my arms around his neck and burrowed my face in his fur. _Yea, I'm fine. Just startled me a little bit. It seems like you're always—well, almost always there when I get in trouble. _

_Hey, it's no problem. It's about time Adam got settled into his rightful place in the pack._

His fur was warm against my skin rather than the bitter, dry cold air nipping at the rest of my exposed skin, and I didn't want to let go. But I leaned back against the tree, wrapping my arms around my knees again. He took a step towards me. _Adam? Is that his name?_

_Yea. He's a little headstrong—only a freshman. He doesn't get that he's not the alpha, and only a member of _my_ pack. _

I smiled. _Freshman. _I scoffed, and then frowned. _I remember my freshman year—I hated it._

He lay down and placed his head on his paws. _My freshman year was when they started cutting down the forest in my hometown._

_Your hometown?_

He sat upright again and began pacing around with his head held low. _Uh, yea… _I watched him pace back and forth in the small clearing.

_Does Adam go to the high school?_

_Yea._

I smiled evilly.

J's beautiful eyes narrowed. _No, you are _not_ going to ask him who I am. If I tell him not to, he won't. That much I know about him._

I just smiled, but then frowned, sighing. _It's not like I can anyways…_

He whined suddenly, coming up to me and pressing his nose against my cheek. I giggled, the first time in a _long_ time, and pushed him away. _You can talk. Why are you so scared?_

_I know I can. _ I said, completely ignoring his question.

_I've only heard you talk _once,_ and that was to yourself._

"There, happy? I talked. Yey." I growled hesitantly. His sat down and his tongue rolled out in a grin. _I'm ecstatic. Now you just have to speak during school. _

_What, so I can figure out who you are?_

_Do you have any idea?_

_None. _I replied.

_I'm not sure whether that's good or bad. _

_It's bad. Very bad. You should tell me!_ I said hopefully.

_Sorry, babe, it ain't happenin'._

_Babe? _I scoffed.

_Sorry. Habit. _

I just smiled and I rested my head on my knees.

_What would you do if I shifted right now and kissed you? _He asked suddenly.

My eyes widened momentarily. _I would have screamed and pushed you away if you hadn't warned me._

He sighed and plopped down on the forest floor, moving twigs and weeds out of his way. _Oh, that's right. You scare easily. _His eyes caught mine before he spoke again. _You are so beautiful._

I pretended I didn't hear that lie. Instead, I turned my head away from him, still resting on my knees._ I should go. My parents are going to be worried._ What a complete lie.

He whined, pushing his nose under my arm, making it so my arm was around his neck. _You are. You're beautiful—and don't let anyone else tell you different._

_Whatever, J. I need to get going. _Ruffing up the fur on the back of his neck, I stood, wrapping my arms around myself and picking up the bags I had left on the ground.

_At least let me walk you home._ He suggested, padding along with me, keeping up with me easily.

_No!_ I said immediately. _ I mean…no thanks. I'll be fine._

He sighed. _Danny. If something was going on, you'd tell me right?_

_Probably not. I hardly now you. I mean, c'mon, I don't know your real name, or your hair color, or _anything_ about you. How do you expect me to trust you? _I asked, tightening my arms around myself, trying to shield the cold.

His head dipped low and I heard him exhale deeply. _I guess I just expected it. I'm sorry. I'll leave now. Bye._

_Bye. _ I said, and didn't look back as he melted into the undergrowth. I sighed and shook my head. I looked up to see the sky already darkening. The air was gray when I got back out onto the streets. When I entered the main part of the town, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up, and I felt like someone was watching me. I glanced behind me, but I couldn't see anyone. But I sped up my pace anyways, wanting that sick feeling to go away. But it only got worse. My hands fell to my side, holding the bags contained with groceries. I gulped, and glanced back again. But no one else was on the streets.

A hand grabbed my arm and pulled behind the post office, slamming me against the wall and covering my mouth with a hand. I screamed anyways, dropping the bags. A body pressed mine into the wall, and two hands grabbed my upper arms. I stared right into dark blue eyes; Jake. I screamed again, pushing at his chest, but he wouldn't budge.

"Keep scream, b****, no one's around to hear you," he leaned in close to me, I had fallen silent, and whispered in my ear, "Besides, it's sexy. But if you want to scream…scream my name, virgin."

I whimpered, pushing at him as he moved his hands to grip my waist. "You won't willingly be my girlfriend, fine. I get that—well, not really, but I don't take no for an answer. If you won't do it willingly, then I'll just have to make you. And there's only one way to make that official." He growled, sliding his hand under my shirt, pushing it up over my stomach. I protested, pushing his hand away, but instead it connected with my cheek, making my skin sting.

"Don't resist. You know you want it," he growled, kissing my cheek just where he had slapped me. I flinched, but when I did, his hands squeezed my stomach. His lips trailed down my neck, making my blood pump faster from fear. I tried to talk to J, to have him save me, but I couldn't. I couldn't move, I couldn't think. The only thing I could do was act on instinct; I brought my knee up in between his legs.

He grunted, bending over and releasing me. Hurriedly, I bent down and scooped up the bags and ran. I ran as fast as I could, the wind whipping my hair around my face. Luckily, I didn't hear footsteps behind me, but I didn't slow. My breathing became heavy, and my muscles protested, but I kept going. I glanced back, but I only heard a string of curse words screamed at me. Still, I ran, my feet brushing the overgrown weeds in the forest.

I jumped as something barked at me, but I still didn't stop. _J?_ I thought, staring into the forest. It was getting darker still, and the air was getting colder, but I could catch glimpses of light reflecting of off those beautiful bright blue eyes in the forest.

_Yea, is something wrong? Why are you running? _He asked, but I still couldn't see him. Had he been spying on me? _No, I wasn't spying on you. I just heard you breathing hard. I didn't know if something was wrong._

_Don't worry about it. I'm just cold, that's all. _I lied, and a shiver erupted through my back.

I heard a whine. _Well…okay, if you say so. _I glanced back again, but I was far away from Jake, and I could hear J leaving. I slowed to a walk, but my heart was still beating like a drum. It took me half the time it normally did to get home, and when I did, it was the best greeting I had ever had.

"There you are. Did you get groceries?" My Mother asked. My father must have had to work late today as a cop—pretty ironic, right? I nodded, looking at the ground. "Good girl, now go put them away." She demanded.

I smiled just a little and rushed into the kitchen to put them away. Immediately afterwards, I took a shower, ate the only thing I had had that day, did Destiny's homework, and went to bed still smiling.

…

I decided to wear a long sleeved bright blue V-neck shirt and jeans with flats for school the next day. I was a little reluctant to confront Jake, but the thought that someone would actually talk to me…was…amazing. I was humming as I brushed my hair and fixed breakfast for my family. I slung my bag over my shoulder and strolled out the door, grinning.

A huge black SUV stopped beside me on the road, its window rolling down. I pulled out my iPod and put it back in my bag. Josh smiled back at me. "Hey! What're you doin'? You need a ride?" he asked.

I blushed, glancing behind him into the passenger's seat. A blond haired boy stared at me with pale blue eyes. He was young, maybe about eight or so, and I could tell he was going to be a cute teenager. I smiled, stilling blushing, and nodded shyly. Josh whipped around, smacking the boy lightly in the shoulder.

"Levi!" he said. "Get in the back."

"But Josh—" The boy, Levi, began, but Josh interrupted him again.

"_Now._" He ordered.

The boy huffed and slid out of the seat, leaving it wide open for me. My cheeks were still hot with blood as I slipped around the car, stopping at the open door. "So this is the girl who don't talk?" a female voice asked from the back. I got into the car, turning around to study her more deeply. She was pretty, with highlighted straight brown hair and big, soft brown eyes. Her figure was perfect, with curves in all the right places, and she showed it off with tight clothes.

Josh rolled his eyes, chuckling. "Yea. Danny, this is Iya, Iya, this is Danny."

Iya smiled at me. "Nice ta meet ya." She said, smiling.

The young boy coughed. "Are you forgetting someone?" he asked with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Nah," Josh waved his hand in the arm, turning around to face to wheel again.

The boy pouted. "My name's Levi." He said proudly, sitting up a little straighter. I smiled at him, laughing slightly.

"Ya littl' squirt," Josh teased, smiling at him in the rear view mirror. Josh turned his smile to me. "He's my little brother, and she's my cousin. We have ta take squirt here to the elementary school first, it that's okay, but Iya's a sophomore, so she'll come to the high school with us." He kept the window down as he pressed on the gas.

Iya huffed. "I'm _supposed_ to be a junior, but I missed the cut off day. It's stupid, really." She said. I smiled and chuckled.

"I'm one of the oldest in 3rd grade." Levi said proudly.

"Usually, Josh's younger brother, a—" Iya started before Josh shot her a dark look. "He's usually here with us, but he's sick." She finished. I couldn't stop smiling. I ran my fingers through my hair several times as we drove.

Levi tugged on Iya's shirt. "What, Levi?" she asked.

"Guess what we're learning in class!" he said, slightly bouncing in his seat.

"What?" she asked, humoring him.

"We're learning about animals. Isn't that cool?"

"Totally," Josh interrupted, "what else are you learning in class? They teachin' you anything good?" he asked in that horrible grammar of his.

Levi scowled. "Yea. Mrs. Freshwater's teachin' us the multiplication table, and Mrs. O'Neill's sayin' my grammar ain't good."

I laughed along with Josh and Iya. "She's just sayin' that 'cause she's jealous of our southern ways." Iya joked.

"I swear this town's never had a southern family in their midst's." Josh said, scoffing. I shook my head at him. His eyes widened. "You haven't? Really? Oh, wow." I laughed; this town was _way_ too small. I stared at him for a while, watching how the smile across his face light up his eyes even brighter, how his laugh echoed through my ears. That little stubble across his chin that I wanted to run my hand across, and through his hair, just to feel its texture. I loved his posture in the driver's seat; calm, relaxed, hands loose but ready at the wheel, like he hadn't a care in the world. The white t-shirt he had on showed his dark skin and muscles clearly, especially when he ran a hand through his hair to tame it from the wind. Since the windows were still down, my hair was flying everywhere also. But I had learned not to bother with it. Iya wasn't messing with hers either, but it seemed like hers had more spray in it. I noticed how Josh's free hand was on the holder in between the two chairs, as if waiting for someone to clasp it.

I was still thinking about him when he moved, breaking my train of thought, to turn into the U-shaped parking lot of the elementary school. "Bye guys!" Levi shouted, slinging his backpack over his shoulder and hopping out the door.

Josh held his fist out to his little brother. "See ya later, squirt." He said, smiling. Levi knocked Josh's fist, laughing like a little boy looking up to his big brother.

Levi's hand hovered on the door. "Bye Iya," he said, and then turned to me. I swear I saw a little red on his cheeks. "Bye Danny." He said and closed the door. Iya burst out laughing, and Josh smiled, shaking his head.

Iya was still cracking up in the back seat when Josh pulled out of the lot. I turned in my seat to give her a confused look. "I think Mr. Squirt has a little crush!" Iya laughed, turning red in the face and clutching her stomach.

My eyes widened and I turned my gaze to Josh. He laughed through his nose, smiling. He glanced up in the rear view mirror. "That he does. And I think I need to knock some sense into 'em." He smiled, chuckling.

By now I was blushing beyond my normal. I glanced down at the tiny table again, seeing Josh's hand in the exact same position. It was as if he was saying; _I'll always be here. Just take my hand and we'll go somewhere far away._

"Ha! She's blushin'!" Iya yelled, pointing and laughing at me. It only made me blush more.

Josh smiled and shook his head. "Chill out, Iya. Goodness."

Her laugh died until she was just smiling. "Fine. Fine. Okay. Whatever." She said, leaning in between the two seats, separating me and Josh. "Hey, Danny, have you taken Spanish II yet?" she asked, tilting her head towards me.

I nodded, scowling.

"Did you have Mrs. Romero?" she asked. I nodded again, scowling still. "Isn't she the worst teacher ever? Ugh, I hate her!" she made a face too, rolling her eyes.

I totally agreed with her, so I rolled my eyes. Josh sighed, leaning back in his seat with a hand on the wheel and the other still on the table.

"We're here!" Josh sang sarcastically.

"Yey! Another day at a new school. Whoopee!" Iya answered, copying her cousin's voice. I sighed, grabbing my bag in my hand. Josh parked the SUV, turning the car off and hooking his hands behind his head. He leaned back in his seat, sighing.

"I say we all just stay here in the car. Technically, we're at school, right?" he smiled, closing his eyes.

Iya's eyes glinted. "Of course," she replied, "But it's our second day, Josh. Let's go."

He groaned like she had just invaded his happy place. He sat up and kicked the door open and slid out. I followed him quickly, securing my bag on my shoulder. Whispers blew around me, and I could feel everyone's eyes on me as I shut the door. Both Iya and Josh came around the SUV with their books, and Josh locked the car. I smiled at him and he returned it. "Hey, it's no problem." He said, walking around with me and Iya towards the front door.

"Yea, Danny!" Iya exclaimed. "You should get a ride with us every day!"

Josh smiled at me. "She's right. You should. I can give you a ride to and from school from now on if that's all right?" he asked. I smiled at both of them and nodded. Destiny would be pissed, but who cares? I finally have friends again. She can go somewhere else for all I care right now. As a matter of fact, as soon as we all entered into the school, she and Jake were glaring at me. I almost froze right then, turned, and ran out the door. But instead, I pressed myself tighter in-between Iya and Josh, and stared at the floor as we walked pass. I glanced up to see Destiny yelling at Jake, pushing him away while he scowled at her. Her heels clicked on the floor as she walked towards us.

"Joshy!" she squealed, taking hold of his other arm. I scooted more towards Iya, who was staring at them as she walked with a bewildered expression.

Josh blinked, raising an eyebrow at her. "Can I help you, Destiny?" he asked.

She shot a dark look at me before answering him. "Oh, of course, sweetie! You can walk me to class! C'mon!" she started to drag him away, but he dug his heels into the ground.

Wrenching his arm from her grip, he shook his head. "Uh, no thanks." I glanced around; _everyone_ was watching. Was my wolf here? I scanned the crowd as they laughed at Destiny, searching for any signs that maybe he was here. But Destiny's 'huff' brought me back to lock eyes with her. _B****,_ she mouthed and turned away, strutting away from us.

_She is so gonna kill me._ I thought, sighing. _That_, I thought, _is something I am sure of._ I was doomed, but right now she couldn't hurt me, and I could do anything I wanted. _Anything. _


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Well… _that_ was weird." Iya said as we walked away from the small crowd that had gathered. She glanced over her shoulder warily.

_You got that right._ I thought, looking back as well.

"Seriously," Josh replied. He glanced at me. "Is she always like that?"

I shrugged, nodding. _Basically,_ I thought.

"Yuck," Iya interrupted. "Why do y'all even like her?"

I stared at her with a questioning look on my face. "Why do _they_ even like her?" she corrected, shaking her head.

I shrugged, but Josh interrupted me. "Hey! Guys, look!" he exclaimed. We turned to see him staring at a poster.** Mid-Winter's Formal,**__it read. I sighed. Mid-Winter's Formal was basically like an early prom, only without a queen or king, and only freshman were prohibited to go. I had never been to one before; no one had ever asked me.

"Iya, we should go!" he smiled at us, his eyes bright.

"Together?" Iya sneered.

Josh frowned, and stared at her as he shook his head. "No, with someone else, of course," He glanced at me and smiled. "It's only a week from today. C'mon, y'all! We should go!"

"A week," Iya shrieked. "That's hardly enough time to get a dress!"

Josh gave her a look. "Iya, a week is more than enough time to get a dress you don't need."

She placed a hand on her hips. "I wasn't just talking about me. Danny needs one too!" my eyes widened as they glanced at me. I shook my head, my mouth pressed in a firm line.

Apparently Josh liked the idea, because he smiled. "Yea, Danny! You could come too."

I kept shaking my head. I would get _killed_ if I showed up at a dance with Josh. I was probably in huge trouble for what he did, and Destiny blamed it on me.

Iya loved the idea of it too. "C'mon, Danny," She whined, "Please? We can go dress shopping this weekend."

I shook my head again.

Iya smiled. "Good, then it's settled. We're going shopping this weekend. Bye!" she waved and started down the hallway. I gave Josh a confused look and he shrugged.

"Let's get to class." He suggested. I nodded, scampering after him as he began down the hallway towards first period. With one hand in his pocket and the other holding his binder, he slowed just enough for me to catch up to him. He slid into his seat and I followed him.

"Yea, ya gotta love her. She's a little much sometimes, but she's really sweet at others. Levi's somethin' else, too." he scoffed, leaning back in his seat and slightly shaking his head.

_You're a virgin, right? _My wolf interrupted.

Shocked, I replied, _I'm sorry, what?_

_Well, I just—I mean, you know what I mean—but, I've heard a lotta talk. Are ya?_

I sighed, leaning my head on my hand and rested my elbow on the table. _Yea, I am._

_Why do you say that like you regret it? You're beautiful, Danny. I don't understand how these guys keep their hands off of you. _At the end he growled, though. _Not that I want them to._

_Well, I don't know. I'm just like any other girl when it comes to these types of things, but I can wait and save it for my husband—uh, when I get one._

_That's a nice way to see it. I wish more of these girls would think like that. Goodness._

_J?_

_Yes?_

_Can you please tell me who you—_

_So, are ya goin' to the dance? _He interrupted suddenly.

I sighed irritably in my head. _I don't want to, but Iya and Josh are making me. Apparently we're going dress shopping this weekend._

_Sounds fun. _He said sarcastically. _Well, I'm definitely goin'. Maybe you can figure me out then. _

_Oh, really? How am I supposed to do that?_

_I'll be wearing black; the color of my coat._

_Because that narrows it down._

_I can't just hand you my identity on a plate. I wish I could, but I can't._

I '_hmphed'_ and crossed my arms over my chest, and leaned back in my seat. Josh chuckled, rolling his eyes. I stared at him for a while, questioning him with my eyes, but he only flashed a grin at me. I couldn't help but smile back until the teacher interrupted me.

"Joshua," he said, claiming Josh's attention as he approached our desk, "I don't know what year you were on in your old school, but we are on The Civil War currently. I hope you don't mind, but we will be watching 'Gettysburg' today."

Josh nodded. "Well, I think we were on the Civil Rights movement, so we would've already covered the Civil War."

His eyes narrowed for some reason before he nodded and walked away towards the computer. Josh scowled after him before sighing irritably and running his hand through his hair. I studied him for a moment, watching how he drummed his fingers on the desk as Mr. Louis started up the computer. He watched him with cautious eyes, noting every movement Mr. Louis made. I cleared my throat, making Josh turn towards me. I raised an eyebrow, questioning him. He sighed again and shook his head, rolling his eyes again. I bite my lip as I stared into his dazzling blue eyes, my cheeks heating slightly. They flashed down towards my lip. "I'd say you really shouldn't do that, but it's cute and it makes—" he cut off when the lights turned out and bold music began playing. That's when he froze.

His arms went ridged and he sucked in a breath. The class erupted in hushed whispers. "Oh, and class…" Mr. Louis began. The class quieted down some. "Don't forget to take notes." The class groaned and there was a rustle of paper being taken out. I leaned down and got some out of my bag. I glanced over to see Josh leaning on his desk, still as a statue. He glanced at me, and his jaw clenched, his eyes lingering before he returned his gaze to the screen. I watched him for a while before the mood in the room became tiresome and my eyes drooped. I lay my hand on my cheek as my eyes closed.

_His lips were moving, but no words flew from his mouth although I could hear my screams perfectly well as bruises appeared on my body. His foot connected with my stomach, and I instinctively I brought my knees up to protect it. But he used his heel to turn my body over, with me lying on my back. My body shook, and my head pounded. My skin was burning in pain, but he kicked me again, sending numbing shocks up my side. I screamed again, and a howl answered me, soon followed by a vicious growl. My father froze, his eyes widening in fear. He screamed and turned to flee inside, but the wolf tackled him. The wolf snapped his teeth in my father's face, his huge paws holding him down. _

_Suddenly a light enveloped the wolf, and when it dissipated, a man stood over my father. He growled a wolf-like growl and swung his fist into my father's eye. He grunted, scowling and turning his face away. "Josh!" I screamed, and he turned to face me. _

_His face fell. "Danny, are you alright?" he asked, coming to my side._

_My muscles relaxed as soon as he was around. But when his hand enfolded mine, his face blurred, and when it cleared again, he was Jake. I screamed, pushing away from him, ignoring my aching body as I crawled away. He laughed, catching my arms in his hands. Forcing me on the ground, he flipped his leg over me to straddle my waist. I screamed again and again, thrashing my hands and feet, but he pinned them to my side with his knees. He ripped a piece of cloth from my shirt and stuffed it in my mouth. He smirked at me, slowly inching my shirt up my stomach—_

"Class, you might want to get this down, this is an important part in the movie!" Mr. Louis called, waking me up. I closed my eyes again, laying my head down with my arms covering my eyes. The dream was fresh in my mind and I couldn't shake it, but my body was still trembling.

A hand lightly touched my arm. I flinched, looking up to see Josh retracting his hand from my arm. His jaw was still clenched, but his eyes were soft. "Danny, you need to start taking notes, or Mr. Louis is really gonna get on your case. He's been looking over here all period—like right now." He smirked. "But I hope you had a nice nap."

I blushed, studying a hair on my arm and nodded. Hurriedly, I began scribbling down random things that happened in the movie. _ Definitely did not have a nice 'nap'. _I thought, glancing at the boy. He was still tense, but he, too, was writing things down. I played with the corner of the paper, but only seeing a black wolf turn into a human. My wolf was lingering in the back of my mind. Was that how he changed? I glanced over to Josh. _Was_ he Josh… or Jake? I've got to be telling myself something. I've heard dreams actually mean something. Like your subconscious telling you something important. Josh can't be J… right? _There's a lot more kids with the initial J than I realized. _J had said that himself. That doesn't mean that he _has_ to be Josh or Jake. There's that kid Jacob in my Spanish class, or Justin in my third period. Besides, there's a ton of kids with names that start with J. This is gonna be impossible to figure it out by myself.

But what if it was Jake? I shuddered at the thought. No, it couldn't bee Jake. That was impossible. Still…what if it was Jake? J was…the…only person I could talk to. If he turned out to be Jake…I didn't know what I would do. It would explain why he's been acting so…weird lately. Jake used to hardly pay any attention to me. Now every time he came 'over' he'd try to talk to me.

_J, can I guess who you _aren't_? _I asked hopefully.

_I… guess so…_ he replied reluctantly.

I bit my lip again. _You…aren't…Jake, right?_

_Ha! I hope not!_

_You hope not?_

_You really think I'm him?_

_No, I was hoping you weren't him. Please tell me you aren't Jake. _

_One down, millions to go,_ he said, and I could almost see the smirk.

_Amazing, _I sighed.

_Have you got any idea? I'll keep my promise—you guess, out loud, and I'll tell you yes or no._

_How am I supposed to guess out loud when I don't know who you are? Who am I supposed to say it to?_

_Me, of course, as a wolf,_ he replied.

Second period came and went fast as the class role-played Romeo and Juliet—me reading ahead, not having a part. Although, I couldn't help but think of a certain someone when the two met, making me blush. I felt like my cheeks were still red hot when I went up to my locker to switch out my books. I bit my lip and pushed my hair behind my ear. Arms suddenly wrapped around my waist and a hand brush my hair behind my shoulder. I went rigid, and lips connected with my neck. A hand pushed my books back into the locker and closed it. I whipped around, expecting to find Josh, but instead found myself face to face with none other than Jake. I gasped and tried stepping back, but his arms brought me back to his chest. "Wrap your arms around my neck—_now_, Destiny's looking." He said through gritted teeth. I just stared up at him in shock. "_Now_, Danny, or I swear I'll pull you into the closet and take you right here. Do you understand?" he growled. I stared at him for a moment, not breathing, because I couldn't. He smirked and stepped back threateningly. I took a sharp intake of breath and wrapped my arms around his neck. His smirk stayed. "Good job, ya little tramp." He leaned down and pressed his lips to mine. I gasped, and he took the opportunity to explore my mouth with his tongue. I tried pulling away, but he caught my bottom lips in-between his teeth and made a disappointing sound. I stayed, closing my eyes and let him kiss me. I wanted so badly to turn away, but I stayed where I was.

"You s***** little b****!" a familiar voice cried. I was pulled away from Jake by my arm, only to have a fist knock me in the eye. I gasped again, holding my eye as I fell to the ground. "You f******, s***** b****! Why can't you leave my boyfriend alone?"

_You can't have two boyfriends, Destiny. You're just jealous that someone finally might actually like me! _I screamed at her in my head, but I just stared up at her with a blank look. Her hands balled up in fists, but a teacher appeared at the end of the hallway.

"Hey! What's going on here?" Mr. Burton, a short, chubby man with a weird beard ran—or what was running to him—up to us, stepping in-between Destiny and me. "There's no need to take sibling fighting to school. Please, leave that at home. Now, what happened here?"

Destiny glared at me. "Nothing, Mr. Burton." She growled.

"Good," he nodded, "just don't let it happen again, you hear?" he glanced at each of us before stalking away.

As soon as he was out of earshot, Destiny growled, "I'm calling Dad." And with that, she stalked away with Jake wrapped around her finger. I stared after them, my hands shaking violently.

"Danny!" a calming voice called, and suddenly Josh was crouching next to me. "Danny, are you alright?" he cupped my cheek in his hand and traced the underline of my eye where Destiny had punched me. "What happened?" I stared at him with my mouth wide open and tears popping into my eyes. He took my hand and gently pulled me up.

"Don't cry, honey, I've got you." he wiped a tear from my cheek that I hadn't realized had fallen. The late bell rung and soon everyone was out of the hallways. He pulled me into the closet Jake had been talking about as footsteps sounded down the hall. I squealed when he closed the door, locking us in the dark. As I watched his eyes, the only bit of light I could see, all I could think about was them turning darker and hands grabbing me. All I could think about was my dream and Jake straddling my waist. I backed away from Josh until my back hit a shelf. A hand enveloped mine, but I pulled back, a shiver running down my back.

"Danny, I won't hurt you." he said taking a step forward. I squeezed my eyes shut, but it didn't help at all. "Danny," he whispered so softly with another emotion that I couldn't quite pick out. I burst into tears, wrapping my arms around myself until someone's arms pulled me tight to their chest. I lay my head on his chest and gripped his shirt in my fists. He combed his fingers through my hair, making soft sounds through his lips. I focused on the feel of his fingers playing with my hair, twirling it around his finger, and found myself calming down.

"You're going to be alright, sweetheart. Do you want me to take you home?" he asked, mumbling into my hair. I sniffled, shaking my head. He nodded and pulled my hair behind my head. "You know, I've never seen you with your hair up." I shrugged and pulled away from him, wiping my eyes and pushing my hair behind my ear again.

"You know I wouldn't ever hurt you, right?" he said, refusing to let go of my waist. I continued to wipe my eyes, ignoring his question and blinking out the last of the tears. He pulled me closer. "Danny," he said firmly, "you know I wouldn't hurt you, _right?_" I closed my eyes and tried to block him out, but his fingers slipped up under my shirt and began drawing circles into my skin. I took a sharp intake of breath and my knees began to shake so violently that I could hardly stand up.

_I'm calling Dad. _The sentence suddenly popped into my head and I pushed him away, catching him off guard. Destiny was _calling_ our father, which meant she was really pissed. I was dead, and I could almost say that literally. I wasn't quite sure whether my father would actually kill me or not for upsetting his 'little girl.' As soon as his hands were not touching me, I felt relieved, but empty as well. "What? What is it, Danny? Did I do something wrong?"

I fumbled my way through the darkness, searching for the doorknob. Instead, I found Josh blocking my way again. I pushed at him, but he took my hands in his. "Danny, did I do something wrong? Just nod yes or no. Please, if I did something wrong, I want to know so I don't ever do it again." I shook my head violently, holding back tears, and pushed at him again.

"Then why do you want to leave? Do you not like bein' alone with me? Can't we just…stay in here until lunch starts?" he asked, kissing my fingers with a hidden meaning in his eyes. _Do you want me to cry again, you idiot? Leave me alone! I-I just want…to be…alone. I'm gonna die anyways today! What's the point? I don't want to be alone with you. Not right now. Not in here. I can't see anything; I can't see what you're doing. How do I know you're not gonna hurt me, huh? I've trusted people before not to hurt me—I don't even trust the two people in my life that I'm _supposed_ to trust with my life. Why do you expect me to trust you so easily? _

Suddenly, a light erupted in the closet; the door was opened. Josh's eyes dropped gloomily to the ground, a darker, heavier, droopier blue I had ever seen them. "I'm sorry," he muttered, "We should probably just get to class, huh?"

I wiped my eyes and nodded, slipping past him into the hall. I kept rubbing my eyes to get rid of the tears and any trace of them. I stopped at my locker to get my stuff. I walked fast down the hallways, but I could no longer feel Josh's presence behind me. I stopped and turned around to see him with his hands in his pockets and staring at his feet. I gazed at him for a second before realizing what he had just done for me, and what I had done to him in return. Hurriedly, I ran up to him, straight into his chest, and wrapped my arms around his waist. I caught him off guard, but it didn't take long for him to return the hug. I snuggled into his chest for a bit longer than I should have been, but eventually I turned away and began again down the hallways, blushing deeper than I had ever before. I heard shoes pounding on the floor before he appeared next to me, and we continued down the hall in silence.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Cadwell, I—" Josh started as soon as we walked in. She stopped him, but the class was already staring at us. I hurried to my seat in the back of the classroom and tried not to draw any attention to myself.

She cut him off, holding a hand out to stop him. "I understand, Joshua. Just sit down and begin on the notes on the board."

He nodded. "Yes, ma'am," He said and went to go sit down in the seat next to me.

_I heard you got into a fight; you alright? _My wolf asked, making me jump a little in my seat.

I lay my head down on the desk and watched the teacher explain the writings on the board. I was too lazy to write. _Uh…yea, I guess so. I think there's a bruise under my eyes, but that's it. I didn't even do anything…_

_Then why'd she hit you? _He growled.

I kicked the floor and stared at my arm. _Because, she got jealous of me and decided it was okay to punch me in the face. _

_What? Destiny's jealous of you? _

_Yeah. Her boyfriend thinks it is okay to use me to get her back because she likes another boy. He ambushed me while I was putting my books in my locker and he told me to hug him back or he'd—he'd… ta—take me into th—the closet… and—and… _

_Hey, hey, Danny, you're okay. I'm sorry I asked. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. _

_B-but, J… I kind of want to tell you, b—but I don't know if I should. _

_You probably shouldn't, because I swear I'll kill him if he even threatened to hurt you._

_Then I really shouldn't tell you…_

He growled deeply. _He's using you then…to get to Destiny? _

_Yeah. I don't know why everyone thinks Destiny's amazing. I mean, she's just a useless—never mind, I'm not gonna use that kinda language. _

_Don't matter. I know what you mean._

_I'm really scared, J. Destiny's really mad at me. I'm—I'm afraid she's really gonna call Dad. _

_Don't worry. What's he gonna do? Beat you to death? _He scoffed.

I put my wall up. _ Exactly, _I thought, sighing and finally taking out my notebook. I could feel him knocking at my wall, and it was kinda giving me a headache. _What, J? What do you want? _I snapped as it grew bigger.

_You didn't answer me. _

_Usually when I don't answer, you don't do anything, but now you've given me a headache. _

_Sorry. _

_What do you want, J? It's almost lunch. _

_I just wanted to talk to you. Is that so bad?_

_When you give me a headache, then yes!_

_I said I was sorry. _

_You're fine. I just… I just…I got kinda mad at Jake and Destiny. I'm just tired of people walking all over me. And I let them! I let them walk all over me and use me. It seems like no one thinks about anyone else anymore. All people can think about is themselves and their needs. Well, what about mine, huh? I need someone to love too, but you don't see me taking advantage of some of the boys here! Not that I could anyways, but still… people need to think about others for a change. _

_Sweetheart, are you sure you're okay? _

_I'm fine._ I growled.

_I don't think so, honey. You can't fool me like you do other people. I know you better than most people here. I know I may not know you that well, but right now, I'm the only person you talk to. I just want to help. _

_You can't, okay? No one can help me, alright. I'm way beyond help by now. The only way you could honestly help me was by telling me who you are. Before you say anything—I'm dead serious. The only way you could help me was by taking me away. And right now, you aren't willing to do that, are you?_

He growled helplessly. _I hate when I can't do anything. _

_Yeah. So do I. _I looked up to see everyone leaving the classroom. "Danny, you comin' to lunch?" Josh asked, leaning over my desk. I stared into his again bright blue eyes and nodded meekly. I got up and followed him out the door.

A girl appeared next to Josh. She slung her arm over his shoulders, running her fist along his hairline. "Hey, buddy!"

"CJ!" he yelled, pushing her away while a smile appeared on his face. She was about as tall as Josh, standing a little below him. Her hair was a golden brown, a little darker than Iya's, and curled down to her shoulders. Her eyes were wide, sparkling hazel, and playful.

"Aw, c'mon, Joshy, I ain't embarrasin' you in fronta your girlfriend, am I?" she joked in a rough southern accent, ruffing up his hair.

He glared at her, scoffing, and pushing her shoulder away from him. "You're crazy," he said, rolling his eyes. She leaned down and kissed him on the cheek, making my stomach burn.

"Aha! You're little girlfriend's jealous, Joshy." She said, elbowing Josh in the stomach. He scoffed and glanced at me. I blushed, looking at my fumbling hands.

"Coffeeblue, she ain't my girlfriend." He said.

"Yet," she finished, throwing her hair over her shoulders.

"Coffeeblue!" he yelled, and I swear I saw red cover his cheeks.

She shrugged. "Hey, I'm just being truthful."

He sighed irritably. "I'm sorry, Danny. This is my cousin, Coffeeblue. She's Iya's sister."

"Hiya! Nice ta meet ya, Danielle." She held out her hand. I frowned, stared at her hand, and looked at Josh.

"CJ, her name is _Danny_ not Danielle, and she ain't gonna shake your hand." he sighed, shaking his head. "You're so stupid sometimes…"

"What, Danny doesn't stand for Danielle?" she asked.

He sighed, and I shook my head, biting my lip and staring at the ground. "What are you doin' here anyways?" His hand brushed mine lightly, almost as if to comfort me. I pushed my hands in my pockets and walked a little faster.

"I switched my third period. I didn't want physical training, so I switched to art." She explained, shrugging.

"So, what? Now you have third lunch?" he asked. I glanced between them, taking in Josh's annoyed look and Coffeblue's energetic personality. "Hey, where's Cormac?" he suddenly asked, looking around. "Aren't you two glued to the hip or something?"

Coffeeblue pushed his shoulder, making him stumble towards me. He laughed, smiling. "Just 'cuz we're twins don't mean we do everything together. Besides, he's got second lunch. We have different classes, ya know."

"I know—I know, I was just messin' with ya." The corner of my mouth picked up. His southern accent grew stronger whenever someone from his family was around. I chewed on my lip as we walked into the cafeteria. My mood immediately dropped as I caught Destiny's flaming eyes, her jaw clamped in anger. I scurried away from them, hearing her words echo in my head. _I'm calling Dad. _I glanced outside to see that willow tree and felt a shiver run up my spine. I stared at the ground and made my way to the empty table in the corner where I usually sat. I peeked up through my eyelashes to find Destiny nodding contently…that was until Josh decided to come and sit by me after he got a tray full of food. She scowled, but a glint formed in her eyes and she stood, making her way over to us.

She sat across from Josh, completely ignoring Coffeeblue and me. "Hey, baby, where have you been? I've told you, our table's over there." She pointed across the cafeteria to her table with all of her popular, sick friends…like Jake.

I leaned my head on my hand and drew circles into the table to try and ignore them. "I don't care, Destiny. Why don't you get it? I'm sitting here with Danny, not you, okay? Just get over it. Not every guy in this school is going to fall at your feet when you flirt with them. Some guy actually have _lives._" I froze at his words, and it seems Destiny did too. _Oh, no, no, no! Please tell me you did _not_ just say that!_ I silently prayed as I bit my lip and squeezed my eyes shut tight.

"So you're sitting with Danny, huh? We'll see about that, Joshua." I opened my eyes at her voice and watched as she picked up the carton of milk on his tray. I was frozen to the chair as she put it above my head and slowly tipped it over. Milk ran into my hair and down the sides of my face and the tip of my nose. "You s***** little b****," she growled, emptying the cartoon over my head. There was complete silence except for my gasp in the room before it broke out in hushed whispers. Destiny's table was laughing so hard that one guy fell out of his seat, clutching his stomach and they laughed even harder.

Milk was dripping down my cheeks, racing with tears. Destiny touched my cheek, bringing milk back on her fingers. "You've got some white stuff on your face, w****." She said, smiling with a hidden joke. I stood immediately with tears running involuntarily down my face and dashed out of the cafeteria, hearing Josh and his cousin growl curse words at Destiny. Luckily the bathroom was close to the cafeteria and I locked myself in, still collapsing into a stall. I've been trying for years to go to school and not be noticed. I'd almost had it down before Josh came. I had sometimes been counted absent because teachers didn't notice me; especially on the first day. Now since Josh's been here, Destiny's done nothing but fuss over him and me. She's blaming me for his actions when I haven't even said a word to him. The only reason she did this to me was because she can't touch him. He was too 'popular' for her to make fun of. But, of course, I'm fair game.

"Danny? Danny, are you alright?" Josh called from the other side of the door, knocking loudly. "Let me in, Danny." He called. I ignored him, but instead slid to the floor and buried my head in my hands.

"You idiot! She's not gonna open the door after _that_. Don't you know anything about girls?" Coffeeblue scoffed.

"Then what am I supposed to do?" he asked irritably.

"Look—here comes a janitor! Go behind the corner, now! Watch and learn, little cuz." She said, teasing him.

"I guess even _I_ can learn something from you." Josh said, but was ignored by CJ too.

"Excuse me! Mr. Janitor, sir! The bathroom's locked and I really have to pee!" Coffeeblue called.

The janitor paused and I momentarily thought he had overlooked her. "Uh…sure…hold on a sec. Ah! Here we go!" I heard the lock click open and I reached up and locked the stall I was in.

"Thank you!" CJ yelled after him. After a while, she whispered hurriedly. "Josh, c'mon!"

"Yea, yea, yea, I'm coming!" he cried. "Danny? Baby, where are you?"

I had trained myself at a young age not to make a noise when I cried. Silent tears rolled down my cheeks and I wiped at them, but didn't do anything to respond to them. "Now…let's see, if I was—" CJ began, but Josh cut her off.

"Hey, genius, she's in here. Can't you hear her?" he said. _Hear me? They can hear me? How? _He knocked on the stall door. "Danny? Are you alright? Please, unlock the door or I swear I'll crawl under." I made a disapproving noise, refusing to unlock it.

He sighed and I heard him crouch. "Danny, please? We ain't gonna laugh at you. We just wanna help you, sweetie." Coffeeblue said in a calm, sweet voice. "All you gotta do is unlock the door."

I was stubborn, but for once in my life, someone wanted to help me deal with my abusive sister. So I reached up carefully and slid the lock out. Coffeeblue chuckled victoriously. "See?" I didn't know what they were talking about, but I just stared up at them when they opened the door. Josh's face fell and he kneeled next to me.

He took my face in his hands and studied me, tears still trailing. "Let's clean you up, alright?" he asked slowly. I stared at him for a second before nodding and taking his hand to pull me up. "Should I take you home, honey?"

_But she'll be there later. _I thought, but I didn't know what to say. I didn't want to stay here, but I didn't want to go home either.

"Yea…I guess that was stupid. I meant _my_ house, not yours. Did you want to go home with me?" he asked.

But before I could answer, the intercom sounded, saying, "Danny Kimble please report to the office. You're leaving." My heart dropped. I had never been taken out of school before. Ever. _I'm calling Dad. _

_Oh, no. _I nodded my head, my eyes wide with fear. Let him take me with him; don't let me go with my father. Both of them pulled their eyebrows together and glanced at each other. "Danny, c'mon, let's go get your stuff."

Defeated, I nodded and followed Josh as he walked out of the bathroom, CJ heading back into the cafeteria. We walked down the halls in silence, milk still dripping onto the floor, but my tears were dry. He walked me to our classroom and let me get my stuff before he sent me to the office, where my father was waiting, twirling his keys around his finger impatiently. "There you are!" he said cheerily. But I knew him, sadly, and I could tell he was faking it. A smile crept up his lips at my appearance. "What happened to you?" he asked as we walked out of the school.

I stared at the ground, ignoring him, wondering why he would pick me up. _Probably gonna take me home and kill me there so there's no blood on his precious daughter's school. _I thought, scowling. "First, we're going home so you can…take a shower because you smell like foul milk—not much different though. But I need you to look _nice_. Do you think you can handle that?"

I stared at him. Where were we going? What the heck? I climbed reluctantly into the police car and buckled myself in. "So I heard you upset my baby." He said.

I glanced at him, my eyes widening again. He scoffed, leaning back in his seat with one hand on the wheel. He looked content and happy. "Don't worry, I'll see that you get punished." He smiled wickedly, laughing darkly to himself. "And I'll get something out of it, too."

A shiver ran down my back and I began trembling. I pulled out my phone as it vibrated. _**You know, I heard that milk really helps soften your hair(; **_Josh texted me and I relaxed a little, deciding to text him and pretend I wasn't in the cop car traveling to my death.

_**Oh, haha! You're sooooooooooo funny! I'm laughing as hard as I can, honestly. **_I said back, hoping he would note the sarcasm I intended with it.

_**Thank ya, thank ya very much(:**_

_**You know, you really shouldn't be texting during school, mister.**_

_**I know, but I like it when you actually respond to me. **_

_**Haha. Smart boy. Hahaha. No. I do have a reason for not responding, you know. But I can't tell you.**_

_**Oh, and why not? You scared?**_

_**A little. But not for me.**_

"What are you doing? Give me that!" My father said as he snatched the phone away. I frowned at him. The whole reason they gave me a phone was so they could take it away from me, I swear. I looked up, scowling, already missing not talking to Josh, and found that we were already home.

He cut off the car furiously, shoving my crappy phone into his pocket and jumped out of the car. "Go on, take a shower—quick. And remember to look nice!" he growled, now in a bad mood. I rolled my eyes and hurried into the house. _I swear he's bi-polar sometimes. _I thought.

As I rummaged through my closet for something 'appropriate' I wondered where he was taking me. He had never taken me anywhere just to go somewhere for 'father and daughter bonding.' Sometimes I wondered if I was adopted, and that's why they didn't love me. Weren't mothers and fathers supposed to love their children no matter what? I shivered as I thought about a story I had read in the paper about a woman raping her three months old—with someone else—until the baby was about 13 months old. I shuddered as I thought, _maybe not. _

_Maybe it's just me. No one can love me, not even myself. _


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Love is something I've never known, never seen in someone's eyes, never felt through a passionate kiss or a kind action. But it is something I've dreamed about constantly. I missed my notebook. I missed being able to write whenever I wanted to, or felt the need to escape this world, or share a romantic moment with a fictional character. But I had lost that right when I left my notebook lying around in the forest and a certain werewolf had picked it up and taken it home with him, deciding to read it. I wonder how he thought they were, or if I sounded too desperate or clueless about love.

Because, honestly, I was.

I shook my head of the depressing thoughts and continued to wash my hair free of that milk Destiny decided to pour on me for no reason. After I stepped out of the shower, I pulled on some of the only skinny jeans I owned (Destiny had given them to me because she didn't want to throw them away or donate them because she thought she could fit into them again one day), and a bright blue one-shoulder shirt that my father stole from Destiny's closet and made me wear. I slipped on some flats and brushed my hair so it was stick-straight. I still had no idea where we were going, and Father wouldn't tell me.

I was getting scared, honestly.

I was scared he was taking me somewhere to join up with his friends to beat the crap out of me. But, then why would he want me dressed up? This was getting really weird. I had absolutely no idea where he wanted to take me with that big, frightening grin on his face.

"Come on, Danny! Get your a** out of the bathroom and let's go! I'm supposed to have you there by five!" he yelled, his fist slamming into the door. I yanked the last knot out of my hair and opened the door. He grabbed me by the arm and began dragging me out the door. I protested, pushing at his hands and dug my feet in the ground. He stopped, pulling me close to him and growled, "Stop struggling. You know as well as I do that you aren't gonna win. So I suggest you stop struggling, b****."

I flinched at his words and bit the inside of my cheek. Tears filled my eyes but I willed them not to fall. "Get in the car," he said, letting me go and pushing me towards the front door. I stared at the ground as I pushed it open and slowly went down the steps. Without warning, his hand connected with my back, catching me off balance and sending me down the stairs. I put my hands out in front of me to break my fall. I groaned as I landed on the sidewalk just in front of our house. My hands and knees burned, and my father nudged me with his foot, chuckling. "Get up, let's go."

Hesitantly, I stood, wiped my hands on my jeans, and continued after him reluctantly. "C'mon! Hurry up!" he growled, sitting in the driver's seat with the car running. I sighed. I vaguely wondered if men had their time of the month too, because he sure was moody today. Maybe he was just bi-polar…

Grudgingly, I climbed into his truck and buckled myself in, only to find him burning out of the driveway while my door was still open. Quickly, I reached over and shut it before we actually got on the road.

My hands were trembling. I folded them in my lap and concentrated on getting them to calm down than where my father was taking me. I studied my nails, picking at the dirt that wasn't really there. I closed my eyes and imagined someone folding their own hands on mine, bringing them up to his lips and placing a soft kiss. I shook my head; it was stupid, these dreams I had going on in my mind. That I could actually have someone that was mine—someone to love. It was impossible for me; unheard of. It was crazy, thinking that someone might actually _love_ me. Tears filled my eyes and I bit my tongue to keep from crying. I had learned a long time ago that crying did nothing but let loose stupid feelings that wasn't going to change anything. I had also learned that screaming didn't help either; it only urged people on, to keep hurting me. I didn't scream anymore when my family hit me, I only let them and then cried silently in my room without them knowing. Sometimes it would be really bad though, and I couldn't help but let loose one or two tears, like when Destiny had humiliated me in front of the whole school.

Love was something out of reach for me, something I tried not to dream about too much, because even that would break my heart. A line from a song suddenly played in my head: "Keep on dreamin' even if it breaks your heart." I couldn't remember what song it was, or when I had heard it, but I knew it wasn't true. I don't think any guy could break my heart like my family has. It's something else when a boyfriend tells you that he doesn't love you anymore, but it's another when you know your family have never loved you.

I have never even heard those words. _I love you._ I've never said them, never heard them either. Most children know by the time their young that their parents loved them. I don't even know how I got through infancy. I must really be stubborn, to want to live this long. I don't even know why I'm still alive.

Why am I still alive? If life is so hard for me, then why am I still living? I could've killed myself long ago, or let my father kill me himself.

_You don't want to end up like Sasha._ I shook my head. Sasha had been a girl a couple years older than me. She should've been in college by now. But she died taking the abuse from her father rather than put it on her younger sister, Michelle. Michelle had been my age, and had actually been a friend of mine before she ran away. Her father had been abusing her too, but she would have never told anyone. But I knew from my own experience. I guess that's why we had gotten along so well together, but she had left me when I stopped talking. We hadn't talked since the summer after our freshman year, but I hadn't even seen her since the beginning of this year. She had run away, and no one knows why. She just didn't come home one day. No one knows if she's dead or alive, not that anyone really cares. Well, I do, but no one else in our school does. I could almost see her long, soft blond hair and her sparkling blue eyes despite that abuse she went through constantly. I sometimes wished I could be like her, with that fire burning in her eyes whenever she talked about her brother. But I was broken, damaged, and I could never live up to the life I could've had. I missed her honestly. I missed having friends I could talk to and confide in. I almost had that again, but I couldn't even be seen in the same room with Josh and not get Destiny jealous.

I had to avoid Josh. I couldn't be seen with him when Jake and Destiny were in the same room. I'd end up getting killed if Josh didn't leave me alone—literally. That was, if I didn't get killed now. I opened my eyes as the sounds of rocks hitting steel echoed through the truck. He put the truck in four wheel drive, leaned back in his seat, and grinned as we drove down a dirt road. We pulled up to an old trailer with a broken down car on the side. A lawn mower sat idle in the lawn, obviously stopped in the middle of cutting grass, because it sat in-between freshly cut grass and untrimmed grass. Trees surrounded the trailer on all sides, so it was settled deep into the forest. It was perched atop concrete blocks and had a small garage behind it filled with broken TVs, cars, and various parts. The blood drained from my face as we stopped in the gravel driveway. Dead bushes and flowers littered immediately outside of the pathetic trailer, uncared for at least a couple years. I frowned and glanced at my father, but he had that glint in his eyes that said he was going to get something he wanted. I gulped as he cut off the engine and stepped out.

"Let's go," he said, slamming the door shut. Unwillingly, I followed him to the door, looking around, studying the dull green grass, and squinting to see inside the woods. Nothing.

"Finally, you're here." A deep, smoker's voice said. My heart dropped as I caught sight of a man with a slight beer belly standing in the front door of the trailer. He was eyeing me lustfully with dark green eyes. He had dirty golden blond hair that curled to his ears in a mess and continued down his chin in a beard. He wore an old gray tee shirt and blue jeans, but I had a feeling that he wasn't going to keep them on for very long. It suddenly sank into me. My father had sold me—sold my virginity to be more specific. I turned and ran, but my father caught me around the waist and pulled me to his chest.

"I'm sorry we're late. She spent a while in the shower." He said, dragging me to the bottom of the steps. I struggled against him. How could he do this? I thought this was the one line he wouldn't cross! I thought this was the one thing in my life that I was able to control! He couldn't do this! He suddenly took my chin in his hands, my eyes sparkling with tears, I knew. "Behave, do you understand? This money is important, and the better you are for him, the more I get. So be a good little w****, alright?" he smirked, and then shoved me up the steps. I stumbled and fell to the ground, looking back at him in disbelief. He was my father. He made me. How could he do this to me, watch his own flesh and blood be taken by another man _willingly_? But I was already being dragged up the steps by the armpits; the other man was pulling me to my feet. But I kept eye contact with my father, gapping at him.

He barely glanced at me. "I'll give you until tonight, and then I'll come back for her. I'm gonna go have a drink or two, if you know what I mean." He winked and turned around, strolling back to his truck without another glance back. I was tempted to scream after him, but I knew it would do no good.

I could feel the man's breath on the back of my neck as he pulled me into the muggy trailer. It was dark inside, barely lite by a poor light. He dragged me into a living room with a dingy, small couch and a crappy TV. The kitchen was connected to it at the back and a hallway lead on to the right. He hauled me through the hallway as I would not cooperate. Suddenly, he shoved me against a wall. Pictures clattered on the wall that he had pushed me up against.

I stared blankly at him. "We can do this the easy way, together, or we can do this the hard way. I'll do it either way. I'm paying by the hour, so it doesn't bother me. As long as I get what I want." His eyes were burning and glinting at the same time. I kept staring at him and went limp, refusing to make this easy on him. He groaned irritably, but slipped his arm around my waist and continued down the hallway. Suddenly, I brought my elbow into his side as we entered a room—his bedroom, I guess. He grunted, bending over. I screamed; thrashing and throwing my fists everywhere. I knocked him in the jaw accidently, if you could call it that. Before I knew it, I was pinned under him to the floor.

He smirked, but his chin was red. "Where do you want to do this? We can do it here, or we can do it on the bed." I scowled at him and brought my knee up in-between his legs. His face twisted in pain and he gripped my upper arms tightly. I picked me up by my arms and threw me onto the bed. He straddled my waist and my pulse strengthened. My dream flashed through my mind. But this wasn't a dream, this was real. He took my wrists in his hand and brought them above my head, where he tied them to the headboard with a cloth. I screamed again as loud as I could, but he only chuckled.

"In case you haven't noticed, sweetheart, we're in the middle of nowhere." He said. "Scream all you want, little b****, cause no one's going to hear you. Besides, it's _sexy._" he said, pulling my shirt up. I did. I screamed. I screamed as loud and as long as I could, wiggling underneath him, but it did no good.

I had given up about ten minutes in, when he took his clothes off. I had closed my eyes and let stupid thoughts scatter my brain as he took my virginity. Tears had rolled down my cheeks silently, and they still were. He had left a few minutes ago to take a shower. It was dark; my father should've been arriving soon. I was curled up in a corner of the room behind the bed, crying my eyes out. My body ached, mostly my legs. My lips were swollen from him forcing himself on me, and bruises covered my chest, stomach, and legs. I had some from straining against the cloths and around my neck from when he had pushed me up against the wall. I trembled from the memory and brought my legs up closer to my chest and buried my head in my knees. I rocked back and forth slowly to try and comfort myself, but it didn't help.

That's when those brilliant blue eyes popped in my head. I could feel myself relax as I thought about J, about who he might be. I thought about Josh, about what it would be like if Destiny or Jake wasn't here. Maybe then I could actually have a real relationship.

"Well, where is the little s***?" I heard my father's voice boom across the room. I flinched, sniffled, and confined deeper into my corner.

"I think she's behind the bed." The other man's voice answered. I could hear my father's footsteps coming closer until a hand grabbed my arm. I cried out in protest as he pulled me up, sending a shock of pain through my whole body. His dark eyes were dull and cloudy; he was drunk. Great. "Let's go. Where's my money?" he said, his words slurred as he stumbled towards the guy, pulling me along.

Pity and regret troubled the man's eyes as he glanced from me to my father. My dad held out his hand, opening and closing his fists. "Well?" A roll of bills was placed in his hands and he dragged me away from the other man. He pulled me along, both of us tripping over our own feet. I was surprised that we didn't fall, especially as we went down the stairs. He stumbled over to the truck and shoved me in the back, which I was grateful for. With him driving while drunk, I didn't want to be in the front if we crash, so I curled up in the back seat after securing myself in more than one seatbelt and continued balling silently. The truck shook as he got in, and the engine rumbled to life. The interior smelled of alcohol and a cheap perfume, and was blasting with music so fast that I couldn't understand the lyrics.

Giggles sounded from the front seat, and I opened my eyes to see a woman almost ten years younger than my father holding his arm and trailing her finger along his skin. I glared at them and gaged; my mom was out of town visiting her parents, so he goes and gets another, younger girl? Disgusting. But I had to admit she was pretty. She was obviously dressed up to go to a club, and she was drunk, no doubt. She wore a tiny purpled sleeveless dress that hung at her chest and stopped mid-thigh. Black stiletto heels decorated her feet, and her toes were painted the same purple. I was surprised he even remembered me. Either way, I didn't trust him the slightest anymore. I wanted out. I wanted out of this town and out of this house as soon as possible. The moment I turn 18, I'm out of here forever, and I'm never coming back. I buried my face into the back of the seat of the police cruiser, and cried myself to sleep.

My back ached when I woke up in the middle of the night, still buckled in the car, the driver and his passenger long gone. Slowly, as to not irritate my muscles, I unbuckled myself and sat up. The stars were bright in the sky as I stared up through the window. I slid over and opened the door, crawling out into the night. I staggered over to the door, luckily finding it unlocked.

That was about the only thing that went right today.

Silently, I entered the house, surprisingly finding it completely quiet except for the snoring of my father. I didn't dare check in his room for fear of what I might find, so I made my way up the stairs and into my room. Tears still stained my cheeks as I sneaked in and climbed into bed. Once again, I curled myself up under the blankets and cried until I fell asleep.

The next morning, the soft pitter-patter of rain on my window woke me up and had me cowering under the covers as soon as I stirred. Often, the beating of pouring rain scared me into thinking my father was coming for me, but after I realized it was just the rain I was okay.

Yes, I was scared of rain, but you would be too if you were me.

Glancing at my clock, I found out the rain had woken me up a few minutes early, just enough time for me to take a shower, which I needed badly. So, I climbed out of bed and went to search my closet for something decent to wear. Finally, I picked out an old softball tee shirt I had bought during rec ball and a pair of washed out jeans. When I went into the bathroom, I realized I had slept in skinny jeans that I had put back on last night. I took them off only to find seams impressed into my skin. Sighing, I rubbed my eyes and turned the water on full heat. I double checked to see the door was locked, just in case, and stepped into the shower, letting the steaming water run down my hair.

I knew my father still expected me to cook breakfast for the family, but I refused to go to school. I hurt so badly that I could hardly stand up in the shower. Besides, he wouldn't care. School was a 'privilege' for me, but it was probably the only reason I was still alive. Yawning, I stepped out of the shower to brush my teeth and hair, but I decided to put it up in a sloppy bun atop my head. I didn't bother with mascara since I wasn't going to school and headed downstairs to start breakfast.

No one was awake, for which I was thankful, but I took out a pan. I cracked an egg into it just as Destiny sauntered in groggily. She rubbed her eyes, yawned, and sat in her usual seat. "Where's my eggs?!" she snapped. I flinched and turned the burner up, trying to speed up the cooking process. She shook her head and yawned again. "So how was _your_ night, Danny?" she snickered.

I winced, froze, and closed my eyes. Shrugging her off, I continued to cook the eggs through. By the time they were finished, the girl my father had brought home and my father had come to sit at the table. Destiny and the girl were having a conversation despite the awkward situation. As I approached with the plates in hand, they stopped talking and stared at me. I set the plates in front of them and retreated back to the sink to wash the dishes.

"What happened last night?" the girl asked, holding her head and slightly swaying back and forth in her seat. "I was _so_ wasted," she laughed, leaned back in her seat, still holding her head.

"Get her some pain killers." My father said, nodding to the medicine cabinet. I nodded and scurried over to it, pouring the pills in my hand and fixing her a glass of water.

I hurried over to the table and dropped the pills in her hand while setting the glass of water in front of her plate. I turned around to go back when I heard behind me, "Thank you." Astounded, I swept around to stare at her.

"There's no need to thank that s***." My father said, waving a hand in the air. "She's not going to answer anyways. B****," he said, rolling his eyes.

I sighed, closed my eyes, and spun back around to finish. I pushed my bangs behind my ear and tried to hold in the tears. When I couldn't, I set the pan down and fled back up the stairs into my room. I withdrew under my covers and squeezed my eyes shut.

Why me? What did I ever do to them? Why didn't they just put me up for adoption if they didn't want me? There was no reason for this, to treat me this way. I curled up as tight as I could with a stuffed animal I'd gotten for a birthday present by another family. With the cover over my head, my arm suffocating a worn stuffed beagle, and the soft, comforting rhythm of the rain, and faint tears rolling down my face, I fell asleep.

The house was deadly quiet when I woke up freezing cold. I pulled the covers tighter around me and tried falling back asleep, but my mind wouldn't permit. My empty stomach rumbled at me, so I slowly crawled out of bed and slipped on a sweatshirt. As it roared at me again, I came down the stairs, hugging myself even with the sweatshirt over me. I searched in the closet for a packet of oatmeal and hurriedly made it. I gasped as I caught a glance outside; it was snowing. Holding the steaming bowl of oats to my chest, I approached the screen door and warily opened it. I was greeted with a blast of icy air. I shivered, but I stepped out, making sure that the door was unlocked after I retrieved a spare notebook and a pencil. _J…_ I thought, shaking my head, wishing I had my other notebook. I continued farther into the woods. I couldn't help but scan the restrictions of the woods for those startling blue eyes. I shook my head; it didn't matter if he was here or not. I didn't even know who he was. I collapsed on a random spot on the ground and contently ate my oatmeal in peace.

I've lived this way every day of my life. I don't understand why _now_ has to be so different. Was it because of Josh? That I was finally—maybe—falling for a guy? And just _maybe_ he likes me back? Was that too much for Destiny to handle? That I could get a guy too, no matter how much she put me down. Was it because I was getting older? I've never really stood up to him, told him to stop or I'd call the police—he _is _the police. I was almost eighteen. Maybe this was how he said he was going to miss me when I finally get out of this rat hole.

Ha, yea right. I crack myself up sometimes.

As soon as I turn eighteen, I'm out. And I'm never coming back.

I didn't know what I was going to do for the dance. **Mid-Winter's Formal. **Ouch. No doubt Josh would want me to go with him. There was no way Destiny was going to let me go with him, but I didn't have a dress to go in. That wouldn't stop Iya anyways. She was determined for me to go. I don't know why, and honestly, I don't care, but she was so stubborn and sweet at the same time. She was probably trying to hook me and Josh together. With the way Destiny was acting, that would never happen. I wish she would just leave me alone, let me live my life without any disturbances from my so called family. I didn't even know why she was doing this to me. Yea, I guess the whole new kid thing would be the first guess, but no guy's ever turned her down—especially for _me._

It was weird, having a guy like me. Well, maybe. He might just be playing with me. Sadly, guys _have_ done this to me, but not two at the same time. Jake was definitely toying with me. All he wants is a girl to get into bed with him—willingly, at least. He wouldn't really care if it was me or Destiny, as long as he got what he wanted, and I'm guessing he'd get it no matter what.

I shivered and pulled the sweatshirt tighter around my body. I glanced up at the sun, seeing that it was late in the day—around eleven or so; had I really slept that long? I sighed. I guess I deserved it, considering what happened last night. I shivered again, swallowed a sob, and pulled out my notebook again.

I didn't realize the sun moving slowly across the sky, but I did notice as my stomach emptied again and my skin chilled. "Danny! Are you out there?" I heard from behind. I whipped around to find my mom standing in the doorway, beckoning to me. "C'mon, baby, it's cold out here." I stared at her for a second before standing and following her inside. What the heck? Baby? Since when did she act like I was _actually_ her daughter? She held the door for me; again, weird.

"Are you hungry?" she asked, and I noticed that her eyes were red. When did she get home? I stared at her again, standing in the middle of the kitchen, gapping at her, and nodded. She wiped her eyes when she thought I wasn't looking as she brushed past me. "What do you want, honey? A sandwich; would that be okay, sweetie?"

Okay, now she was starting to sound like Josh. She got out the bread and necessities for my lunch, something she hasn't done since I was too little to do it myself. She slammed her hands on the counter as she spread mayonnaise on the bread. She gazed at me with shattered eyes. "Danny, I'm gonna ask you something, and I want you to answer honestly, alright?"

I nodded, bringing my eyebrows together and gazing at her.

"Did he bring home another girl last night while I was gone?" she asked, sniffling. I nodded again, looking away for the first time. "He was drunk?" Again, I nodded. She sighed and continued with my sandwich. She was crying when she finished and handed it to me. I stared at her, nodded in thanks and took it into the living room to eat it. Just as I walked in, the front door closed. I stared at it for a second before sitting on the couch and biting into my sandwich.

When I finished, I watched as my mother went to her room, crying. I shook my head, put my dish in the sink, and went back outside to the same spot with my notebook.

Which was _not_ a good idea.

"Danny!" he said, pulling away and smirking at me.

"B****," Destiny growled, gripping Jake by the waist. I stopped and stared at them. He was bare-chested with his pants un-buttoned, and she was just in her bra and jeans. Keeping his eye on me, he leaned in and whispered to Destiny, who giggled and nodded. Jake smiled and pulled away, turning towards me. I spun and tried running away, but he caught me by the wrist, pulling, and I slammed into the ground. Before I knew it, he was straddling my waist, holding my wrists in each of his hands. I was too startled and scared to scream. I just struggled underneath him, tears forming in my eyes. My breathing spiked to where I felt like I couldn't catch it and I kicked, and tried to scream.

"Feisty, isn't she?" Jake said, laughing and bringing my wrists above my head. "Take her shirt off, D." he told Destiny, using her nickname he gave her. Just as she bent down next to me, a deep growl stopped her.

"What was that?" she asked, freezing.

Jake shrugged. "Who cares? C'mon, Destiny!" he said, nodding to me.

But I had already relaxed a little. I knew that growl. _Where was_—Destiny screamed, interrupting my thoughts. _Never mind_. Jake jumped up and ran ahead of Destiny towards the house. J finally came into sight, trailing after him, growling with the hair on his spine sticking up.

I sat up, letting the tears fall as I wrapped my arms around my knees. I glanced up to find the big black wolf standing in front of me. He whined, pushing his nose under my hands, knocking at the wall I usually had around my mind. He slipped under my arms. _Danny, are you alright? What happened? _He asked, his voice hiding a growl. I relaxed, tangling my fingers in his fur.

_W-why are you h-here?_ I asked, wiping at my eyes. I rubbed his ears, but he didn't seem to notice.

He flashed his teeth. _You're avoiding my question._

_W-what do you think? _I snapped. _Don't you f-flash your teeth at me, p-pup. _

He recoiled, but his ears sank to his head. _What happened here, Danny? Why the h*** was Jake trying to _rape_ you? I swear when I get my hands on him…_he growled, stood, walked in a circle, and sat back down in front of me.

I looked down, staring at the ground. _I-I don't know. I c-came out here to w-write and I guess I-I interrupted them. W-what are _you_ d-doing here, for the t-third time?_

_I was coming to check up on ya. You didn't come ta school. _His ears flickered.

_I-I'm fine…if you can believe that. I'm so tired…and I d-don't know why._

_That's odd. You've probably been sleeping all day too, haven't ya?_

_Y-yea, but I'm still tired. Maybe that's because of the adrenaline or something. _

He studied me with cautious eyes. _Yea, maybe._ He said, eyeing me. _Have you been out here all day?_

_Basically, yea. I've been writing in this old notebook since _someone_ stole my notebook. _

He snorted, shaking his head. _Are you an _idiot?_ It's freezing! You're gonna get sick!_ He growled and flickered his ears again.

I crossed my arms over my chest and stood up. _Why do you care so much? It's none of your business anyways! So what if I get sick? _

_I'm just looking out for you, Danny, and I'm not gonna apologize for being the first guy to care for you._ He flashed his teeth and stood up with me, his tail swishing back and forth slightly.

_I'm not yours, J! I'm not _anyone's_! You don't need to look out for me. I can take care of myself! _To be honest, I kind of liked that fact that he was worried about me. It was weird, but I like it. I never had someone to fret over me and actually care for me. But I wasn't one to give up a fight when I actually had a chance to win.

Usually I didn't.

He scoffed, throwing his head back and shaking his ruff. _Are you _kidding _me? If it wasn't for me, you'd be under the mercy of Jake right this minute. You should be thanking me instead of arguing with me. _

_You're so arrogant! _I yelled, spinning around and stomping back towards the house, making sure to scoop up my notebook this time.

_Get used to it,_ he growled. _I'm an alpha. It'd be weird if I _wasn't_ cocky! I got a temperament too. You sure you want to see that? _

I hardly glanced at him behind me. _I won't._

Suddenly, the wolf stood in front of me, growling. _You've already signed up, and you're just gonna walk away—_his lips dropped and his eyes calmed, _Whoa, Danny, don't cry. I'm sorry. Please, don't cry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. _

I closed my eyes, but somehow the tears squeezed through. Suddenly, I felt something cold nose my hand. _I'm sorry._ He whispered, whining against my hand. I wiped my eyes again, wondering how I could cry so much in 24 hours and collapsed on the ground.

_J, I just don't know what to do. Everything's going wrong today. Nothing's going right. _

_And I didn't help, did I? I'm sorry. If there's anything I can do, I will, alright? _

_There's nothing you can do, unless you take me away from here._

He lowered his head. _I can't do that. I would love to, really, you have no idea, but I have a pack to take care of. _

_Of course,_ I thought, looking away and wiping my eyes. I also thought about asking him to tell me who he really was, but I knew that would just make him madder. _Whatever. I dealt with it before I knew you, I can do it now._

_I really wish I could take you in my arms and kiss you, but I can't. _

_I've never kissed anyone before. _I blurted.

His eyes widened. _What? You? Somehow I doubt that._

_Obviously you don't know me then. I've never even had a guy hold my hand._

_Oh, don't tell me that. _He whined, walking around in a circle before coming up to me again.

_Why not?_

_Because now I want to kiss you even more. _

I gulped. _Then do it. _


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

His ears flickered back and forth and he momentarily bared his teeth. _I can't, Danny._

I found myself frowning. _Why not? _I asked.

_Because, Danny, I literally_ cannot_._

_Why not?_ I asked again.

_You know how I'm the alpha of my pack?_

_Yea, I guess. _I said.

_Well, I have control over my pack. If I say something, they have to obey it or they can be punished severely. Like death, or excommunication. And technically, since I'm not eighteen, I'm still a part of my father's pack. I can't have a real pack until I'm officially an adult. So my father has control over me. He told me not to tell anyone—you especially. I'm sorry. I really like you, Danny. Just this— this is killing me._

I was astounded. _What? You-you_ like _me?_

He shook his head in exasperation, snorting. _Of course. You're beautiful, Danny._ He said as his tongue lolled out in a wolfish grin.

_You know, you're a really bad liar._ I thought, sniffling and pushing around him.

_I'm not lying!_ He barked after me, but I paid him no mind. I hugged myself tightly against the cold and glanced back. He was gone.

"Danny!" Someone yelled. "Where the f*** is that girl?" I flinched and sped up me pace towards the house, suddenly realizing just how cold it was without my wolf by my side. I sighed when I saw my mother glancing out the back door. Her face was bright red and matched what used to be the whites of her eyes. "There you are. I was getting worried. Now, c'mon inside. Something's here for you."

_For me?_ I thought. _Something came for me? What does she mean?_ Jake winked when I passed him and Destiny watching a stupid romantic comedy in the living room. Destiny smirked at me, leaning further into Jake's chest as they cuddled on the couch. Jake copied her smile and chuckled at me. I shivered, keeping my eyes ahead of me and to the floor. Hesitantly, I opened the door, expecting to find a box. Instead, a vase of flowers stood on the porch. It was a banquet of flowers; different types and colors. I bent down to pick them up, finding a small note tucked in-between the flowers.

_Danny,_

_I saw a bunch of flowers somewhere and thought of you. And when I looked them up, I knew I had to get you some—especially picked out for you. But anyways, I didn't think you'd know what they represent, so I decided to look them up and put them in a note…_

_Pink roses represent friendship, something I cherish between the two of us—something I wouldn't trade for anything. Red and white roses represent unity. Sweetpeas represent shyness, and I know how shy you are. Orchids represent delicate beauty, of which you surely are. Sunflowers represent adoration, and ranunculuses represent radiance. White roses represent purity, and the daisy represents innocence. Passion flowers represent, well, the passion I hold for you. Tulips are a very…special flower. The red is a declaration of love, and the yellow means hopelessly in love. Now look in the middle—the very middle. You see those two flowers? They're my favorite out of the whole banquet. They almost mean the same thing…the lilac—the lilac represents the first love, and the red rose… Well, that's kind of obvious. The red rose means passionate love. _

_I don't care how much you think you aren't, but you are. You are beautiful, Danny. _

_~J_

I stared at the note for a few more seconds before putting the note in my pocket, not having the courage to rip it up as tears ran down my face. I took every white rose and daisy I could find and ripped them up, throwing them in the garden. Purity…innocence…I didn't have those anymore. They had been ripped away from me without my consent. But I couldn't bring myself to throw out the rest of the flowers. Tear drops fell onto the petals, making it seem as if they were still wildflowers coated with dew. I thought about throwing it into the yard until a car pulled onto our street. I spun around and went back inside quickly before they ended up in our driveway. I ran up to my room, trying to ignore the nasty things Jake called behind me that made me what to cry even more. Just as I grabbed the door to shut it, the bell rang. I stopped out of curiosity to listen as Destiny answered it.

"Hello?" Destiny asked in her sarcastic, rude voice. Suddenly, she gasped. "Oh, hi!" she immediately put on her flirty voice.

"Yea…hi…" the person at the door said. I banged my head against the door. I knew that voice. It was stalking me-I swear. "Have you seen Danny anywhere? Is she here?"

"Uh…" I could tell Destiny was surprised by what Josh said. "No, she's not here."

"Really? She's not…here?" he said, disbelieving.

"No," she snapped and then the door slammed shut. I sighed and shook my head, closing the door. I wiped my eyes once again, but the tears kept coming. I set the flowers on my bedside table. Suddenly, a rock connected with my window. I glanced up, but shook it off. But then, again the slight noise of rock on glass came again.

I stood up, going to the window and opening it up. "Danny! I knew you were home. Now take out the screen, I'm coming up!" I squinted at him, but obeyed. "Good. Now back up." He said in a cautious voice. I nodded, confused, and stood clear from the window. I pushed my bangs behind my ear as I waited for something to happen. I blinked and the next thing I knew, he was swinging his legs over the window sill, smiling with a bunch of papers in his mouth. His chestnut hair seemed to be a little longer, with the little cowlick more noticeable than before. I half smiled at him without noticing, scoffing at the sight of him. He jumped down and took the papers out of his mouth.

"Sorry 'bout that, but your sister said you weren't here, and I had just seen you outside." His smile turned secret, like he was hiding something from me. "But I noticed you weren't at school, and so I took the liberty of getting your homework to you. I didn't know your other classes, but I asked the office." He handed me the tiny stack of paper that he had had in his mouth. I took it hesitantly, frowning at it. I hadn't been to fourth period for a couple days. I skimmed through it, deeming half of the stack Spanish. I sighed and placed it on my bedside table, staring at it for a couple seconds before turning back to him. He was placing the screen back into the window. I cleared my throat and he quickly turned around.

He smiled, his eyes the brightest I had ever seen them. They completely popped from his face and involuntarily drew me to them. I took a step forward towards him, finding myself smiling. "So you just skippin' school or what? Why didn't you call me?" he winked, and chuckled to himself. I backed away from him, tears stinging my eyes as I remembered why I hadn't left. I wrapped my arms around myself and backed away to the bed, collapsing on it.

"So, what, you're sick?" I glanced up momentarily to find him frowning and walking towards me. I stiffened, wishing he would stay away. A piece of my hair fell out in front of my face again and I pulled it back behind my ear. I flinched when the front door slammed shut. Josh glanced to the door, his body becoming ridged. He had a slight scowl on when he turned back to me and crouched beside me, wiping his face of all emotion but concern. "Danny, are you okay?" he asked seriously, placing a hand on my knee. My skin prickled under his touch and goose bumps appeared on my thigh. I shivered and hugged myself tightly, shaking my head. I could feel tears flooding my eyes.

"Danny!" my father's voice broke through the silence, causing me to wince and squeak. "Get your a** down here!" I whimpered lowly and stood up, brushing my hand over my hair again. Josh stood with me, stepping back. He watched me with alert eyes as I hurried out the door, making sure to shut it. I walked as fast as I could without running until I found my dad sipping a cup of coffee in the kitchen.

His eyes scanned the room. "This place is filthy." I glanced around. The place was almost spotless, without a dish on the counter or dust on the floor. I returned my gaze to him to find him studying the mug he held. He took a sip of it. "I want you to clean it before I get home tonight." I raised my eyebrow. Suddenly the mug crashed into countless pieces on the floor. I jumped, gasping. I glanced back at him, finding him holding a glass. I ducked as he swung his arm at me, the glass shattering just short of my head. I screamed as something else broke on the wall behind me. A sharp pain appeared in my cheek under my eye, but glass kept shattering everywhere near me. I screamed again as one hit my arm, making it explode in pain. "D***!" he cursed. "My break's almost over. I'm serious—I want this place clean by the time I get home." Glass crunched under his feet as he casually walked out as if nothing had happened. Tears spilled over from my eyes as I sobbed uncontrollably.

"What the h***?" Josh hissed violently as he suddenly appeared. I could hear glass crunch under him as he came towards me. "Danny, are you alright? What happened?" his hand brushed my injured arm and I flinched as he sucked in a deep breath. He took my hand and helped me stand up. I leaned into his chest, covering my face with my hands as he wrapped his arms around me. His cheek warmed my ear as he bent his head to mine. I leaned my head in the crook of his neck and cried as I clutched his shirt in my fists. Hadn't I told myself to avoid Josh—this same guy that I was clinging to right this minute? I had told myself that Josh was nothing but trouble for me. But now, here I was, having probably the most romantic moment with the same guy. He was horrible and wonderful at the same time. I knew I should stay away from him, for my own safety, and maybe even his, but it seems like every time I turn around, he's there for me when no one else it. I found myself thinking of him at random moments in the day, wishing that I could actually talk to him and not be so frightened.

And suddenly I just knew. I was falling for him. I was falling hard for him. No—no… that didn't cover the feelings that sprouted in my chest as we stood there together. And as I thought about it, the more I was certain.

I loved him.

And he could never love me back.

Another sob escaped out my lips and I pressed myself further into him. This might be one of the only moments I had with him, and I didn't want it to end. And if I was lucky, it didn't have to. If I was lucky, he would take me away from here forever, steal me away in the middle of the night and take me away to somewhere secluded and romantic where I wouldn't have to worry about anything in the world but me and him. Nothing but me and him.

Sadly, I knew it couldn't last.

He pulled away, wiping the tears from under my eyes and kissed my forehead. "Baby, what happened?" Slowly, he reached up to remove a piece of glass from my cheek, stained with blood. "You have glass all over you."

I sniffled in response, hating that I was getting used to him seeing me cry. He took my hand lightly and began leading me to the bathroom. "C'mon, let's get you cleaned up." I could've done it myself, but my arm was throbbing in pain and it felt nice to have his hand around my mine. He led me into the bathroom, sitting me on the toilet. He crouched next to me and began pulling out glass shards stuck in my arm. After wincing at the second one, Josh began rambling on about stupid stuff to distract me. "You know, Iya and Coffeeblue were so worried about you. They kept going on and on about you and me." he rolled his eyes and chuckled. "I was _so_ bored in first period, I actually paid attention." His smile sucked the breath out of me instantly. "Destiny tried to talk to me, but I wouldn't hear it. She kept telling me to stay away from you, but I couldn't see why. The way she talks about you, you'd think you were almost as bad as she is, but you're anything but the same. I couldn't believe that you two were sisters!" He smiled again and shook his head. "There, I think that's all of them." He stood up and wet a rag. "So, got any other siblings I don't know about?" he asked.

I smiled weakly and shook my head. My parents hardly wanted me, why would they want another useless kid? He ran the wet rag across my cheek and then began dabbing it on my arm. "You still haven't met any of my family. Did you know Coffeeblue is a twin?"

I rolled my eyes and nodded. "Cormac?" he asked, glancing at me to be sure. I nodded again. "Oh, well you still haven't met him. He's like Coffeeblue, but a guy. They're so hyper and enthusiastic. I think you'd like 'em. I know Hannah would _love_ you. I know Levi does." He winked at me.

"You attracted guys from the Miller family faster than a light attracts a moth." he laughed and stood to wash the rag off. Suddenly, a squeal came from down the hall. I felt my cheeks heat up immediately and I reluctantly glanced at Josh. He scowled as he washed the rag. "That Destiny and Jake?" I studied my arm, which had stopped bleeding and nodded. "They're disgusting." He scowled and threw the rag into the sink, sending soup buds into my hair. I stared up at him as he chuckled, and reached into the sink to send the foam flying towards him. It hit him in the face, causing me to burst out laughing until I felt the bubbles sliding down my face. We kept exchanging soap buds until the foam had died and both of us were clutching our stomachs from laughing so hard.

"We should probably go clean up the kitchen." Josh said, leaning against the door. My smile died and I stared at the ground before nodding. He pulled me by the waist slightly until I was following him. We got the broom and the dust pan. I stood in front of the mess of glass, the scene flashing through my head over and over again until I was shaking. The dust pan was bashing against my sweat pants and I crouched down to swoop up the glass that Josh swept in. my hands were shaking so violently that by the time I got the trash can, expecting a full pan, it was almost empty except for a couple of pieces. I went back to Josh, walking around the trail of glass that marked my path. Josh eyed me as I walked back, and as I came to stand where the glass shards were, he began shaking his head.

He leaned the broom against the wall and took the dust pan from me and set it beside the broom. "Ok, obviously something happened here, and it's bigger than you dropping a couple dishes. Honey, if someone's hurting you, I need to know." His eyes flickered back and forth, looking for any trace in my own. I stayed silent, sealing my lips shut. He sighed, running a hand down his face. "Fine. I guess I can understand that. But we're not gonna get anywhere with you being all shaky. I'll just do it myself. Why don't you go sit down?" he reached for my hand, but I pulled back, shaking my head. This was my house and my mess. I needed to clean it up. I didn't mind help, but he wasn't doing it all by himself. I reached for the pan, but he stopped me with disproving eyes.

"Go sit down; calm down. Leave this to me." he said again, a little more forcefully to show that he actually meant business. I shook my head and made another move for the dust pan, but he stopped me once again. "I mean it, Danny. Please, just go sit down." Quickly, I made another move for it, but he grabbed my wrist even quicker. I gasped and he pulled me to his chest. He wore a devilish smile. "I warned you." my heart beat spiked, and I probably should've been scared to death. But if there's anything I knew about Josh, I knew that he would never hurt me. I couldn't help but smile at our closeness. I could hear him breathing as his smile grew wider.

"Now, darling, do you really want to make me do this?" In truth, I was a little frightened of his malicious smile, but I was too caught up in his hands sending shock waves up my arm. Suddenly, I realized I was being pulled to the kitchen table. He sat me on a chair, demanding I stay. I pouted as he went back to cleaning up the glass. Guilt panged my chest as he swept the glass by his own. As I stood up, he shot me a glare. "Ah, ah, ah!" he said. "Don't make me go over there." I sat back down with a huff. He chuckled and ended with sweeping up the path I had made.

"Joshy!" a shrill voice sang. "What are you doing here?" I looked over to see Destiny with her hair up in a sloppy ponytail and almost completely naked except for the bra and Jake's basketball shorts. She puffed up her chest just as Josh turned around. He sighed irritably and rolled his eyes. My heart dropped when I realized he was staring at her. I had thought that maybe this boy was different, that he wouldn't fall for Destiny's tricks or her looks, but I was wrong. He was _just_ like all the other guys. All they cared about was a hot body and good looks.

And of course they had to talk too.

I stiffened when Jake walked up behind Destiny wearing only boxers and wrapped his arms around her waist. He kissed her neck, glaring at Josh as if to prove she was his. "Jake, get off of me!" Destiny protested, pushing at him. His arms visibly tightened around her waist; more than they should have.

Even though he whispered in her ear, I could already tell what he was saying. "You're _mine_." He growled. I glanced at Josh, and his eyes connected with mine. He raised his eyebrow and scowled at them.

Destiny turned around and shoved him backwards. "I'm not yours!" she turned smiling to Josh. "He's just kidding. I'm not really his." She approached him and ran a finger down him chest, puckering up her chest again. "Now, how about you and me take a little trip…down the hallway?"

I swear my heart broke in two when he hesitated. Apparently, Jake didn't like that idea. "Destiny! That's _our_ thing!" he growled.

She rolled her eyes, leaning into Josh more and more. "_Fine,_" she said, aggravated, "we can have a threesome. You like that idea, _Joshy_?"

Again, he hesitated, glancing around. When his eyes caught mine, I turned my gaze to my hands. I closed my eyes and swallowed a sob when I heard footsteps exiting the kitchen. "That b***** little w****!" Jake whispered furiously. I glanced up to see the Josh and Destiny really had gone. He really had fallen for her. I knew it. I knew he didn't like me. He was just playing me. The whole time. He played me to get to Destiny.

What a jerk.

A smart, caring, cute jerk!

Suddenly, someone took my hand and pulled me up, placing his other hand over my mouth. "Let's go…_upstairs_, shall we?" Without any time to protest, he began pulling me along. I punched at him with my free hand and tried pulling at his hand. I screamed against his hand, but to no avail. He dragged me up the steps and through my open door, shutting it with his back. "Now be a good girl and keep your trap shut, will you? No, on second thought, scream all you want." He smiled, laying me on the bed and straddling my waist.

He leaned down to press his lips to mine, taking my wrists in both his hands and pinned them to my side. Many things flashed through my mind as his lips moved across my skin. I thought of my dream a couple days ago, in this exact position. But J came then, and he was nowhere in sight or sound. I thought about yesterday, about how no one came to help me then, and I was afraid that no one would come to save me this time either. I thought about what Josh and Destiny must be doing, about how he ditched me for her, about how he used me to get to her. Jake began pulling up my shirt with his teeth, and I could feel his hot breath on my bare skin. I didn't bother screaming. I knew it wouldn't help. But I couldn't help the tears that ran down my cheeks or the sobs that choked my throat.

He was just getting my shirt over my chest when the door flew open. "What the h*** do you think you're doing?" Josh growled, clenching his fists at his sides. I closed my eyes, not wanting to see him or his bare chest.

"What the f*** do you think _you're_ doing? Get out! We're trying to do something here!" Jake growled.

"You get off her before I break every limb in your body." I knew it was crazy, but he was serious. It wasn't just a dead threat, it was _real_.

"Psssh, get real. You're taking my girl, why can't I take yours?"

Josh clenched and unclenched his fists multiple times. "I _said_, get off her."

"And why should I?"

"Because you don't want that pretty little face of yours broken into tiny pieces."

Jake scoffed and put his hands on my exposed stomach. I whimpered inaudibly and squirmed beneath him. He still had my arms and hands pinned to my side with his legs. "I mean it. Get off her. Last chance."

Jake scoffed, rolling his eyes. "F*** you, b*****."

Josh grinned. "I'd rather not right now." Josh pulled Jake off me and to the ground. He crouched next to him, wearing a smug smile on his lips. "I warned you. Maybe next time you'll listen." He raised his fist and smacked him right in the nose again and again until his eyes closed and he fainted.

Josh stood. "There. Maybe that'll teach him a lesson." He looked at me and his eyes softened. "Are you alright?"

I pulled the covers up over my head and turned away from him. I was shaking from head to toe, and tears still poured from my eyes. The bed shifted as he sat down next to me and he sighed. "I'm sorry, Danny. I have no excuse for what I did, but I know you've gotta be hurt. I led you on, and then left you for Destiny. I left you in the hands of Jake, and the only thing I can say is I'm sorry…and I guess I could get him outta here, huh?" I could almost see his smile, but I remained silent, squeezing my eyes shut as tight as I could. Suddenly I felt him leaning over me and his lips on my cheek.

"I really am sorry, Danny. There's nothing more I can say. If you want me to leave, I'll leave, but if you want me to stay, I will. Just nod and I won't leave this room." He whispered, his breath tickling my skin.

He was good, I had to say that. But he wasn't playing me again. It was enough that my family physically hurt me, I didn't need my feelings hurt by someone else too. I had started to let my guard down around Josh, I had started to actually trust him a bit, but he had screwed it up along with himself. He could go die in a hole for all I care right now. But I wanted him to see me hurt, and completely ignoring him. Not talking was normal for me, but now even not acknowledging him might make him understand.

"Okay, before you do anything, I just want to defend myself. For one thing; I'm a _guy_. It's what I do. Second thing; she's _nothing_ like you. I'd pick you over her any day."

_Then why didn't you? _I thought, sniffling.

"I really am sorry, Danny. I just hope you can forgive me. I can make it up to you, what da ya say?"

I shrugged, biting my lip. Josh was smart, and clever. I knew he'd put something on the table that I couldn't be able to decline.

"My family—we own a horse ranch. If you want to ride, we can go tomorrow after school and then you and Iya can go shopping—although I'm sure Coffeeblue would love to come now, too." he paused. "_Please_." He begged.

I had rummaged up my courage to say no, and then he went and put on that voice that pleaded with me to hear him. I rolled my head over to stare at him. His bright blue eyes had gone dull and he stared at me helplessly. I closed my eyes and sighed. Hesitantly, I nodded. He smiled, but his eyes only brightened a bit.

"I—I guess I should probably…leave…now, shouldn't I?" he said, frowning and averting his gaze. I nodded, hating seeing him so hurt, and knowing that I had caused it. But it also felt nice, that someone would actually care enough about me that he would feel hurt when I did. What am I talking about? He doesn't actually care for me. He just wants Destiny, just like any other guy does. He's just another useless, stupid guy that I fell for. Tomorrow—tomorrow would decide whether or not I cared for him, and if he actually, truly cared for me too.

I doubt it, but it always helped to be open-minded, right?

I hope so.

Josh left soundlessly, and the house was silent after that. I didn't want to go to sleep for fear of nightmares, but I didn't want to stay up and think about him either. I didn't know what to do, but eventually I fell asleep again for the hundredth time that day.

_I knew I was dreaming, but this was just _weird._ I'd never had dreams like this. The meadow surrounding me was flawless, where every piece of grass swayed perfectly in the breeze that I couldn't feel. The sun was low on the horizon, emitting thousands of brilliant colors across the landscape. A couple stars dotted the sky, and I was standing under a huge willow tree whose leaves were trapping me inside. Wildflowers poked up from the grass, spurting it with spots of vivid colors. I looked down to find myself dressed in a pearl white sundress. Arms encircled my waist and a pair of lips connected with my ear. I didn't jump like I normally would've, but instead I turned around, smiling and gazed up into those oddly bright eyes. _

"_Hey," he breathed, his face inches from mine. _

_I smiled and chuckled. "Hey," I replied in the same voice. I should've been astounded that I responded without even thinking. But I hardly blinked an eye. I reached up and wrapped my arms around his neck. _

_He smiled, and then it died as quickly as it came. His eyes flickered back and forth as they studied my eyes. "I really am sorry, Danny. I wish there was a way I could prove that to you." he leaned his forehead on mine and closed his eyes. _

"_Did you…._do_…anything?" my voice broke and tears filled my eyes. _

"_No, I swear. We got as far as her room before I realized I didn't want _her_. I want _you_ and only you." his arms tightened to bring us closer. _

_I wasn't sure if I should have believed him, but I wanted to, I really did. I sniffled. "You left me with Jake, Joshua. He could've hurt me, he almost did. You realize that?" _

_He lifted his head and kissed my forehead. "I'm so sorry. I wasn't thinking. I would take it all back if I could."_

_I laid my head on his chest, rearranging my arms so they went around his waist. "I just—I just… I _was_ hurt, Josh. I had just realized I have feelings for you, and then you just leave me for my sister. I just couldn't believe it. I felt like everything had gone wrong. I just thought that you were different—that maybe you wouldn't fall for Destiny's charms or her body and how she showed it off._

"_But I guess I was wrong,"_

_I tried pulling away from him, but he held me tight against his chest. "Hey, hey. Danny, there's a reason I talk to you when no one else does, or how I ignore Destiny and Jake, or how I chase after you even when you're at your worst. Why do you think I've offered to take you away every time something happens to you at school, or wherever we are? Why do you think I came to your house right after school? I don't care about you getting your homework—but I _will_ take every chance I've got to be with you, even for a moment. There's a reason for all of that—there's a reason I'm here right now in this dream. I love you, Danny. I have since I've first laid eyes on you."_

_My breath caught in my throat, but I wouldn't fall for his lover boy tricks again. I pushed at his chest, tears filling my eyes again. "You know lying is one of the seven deadly sins, right? I wouldn't want you to go _rot_ in _Hell_ for a simple _lie_, now would I?"_

_His face fell. "Danny, I'm not lying!"_

_I backed away from him, shaking my head. "There you go again! Give it up, Josh! I've caught on to your little game to use me! It's not gonna happen anymore! I'm not just some pitiful little girl that you can mess around with! I have feeling you know! Not many people understand that, but I thought you of all people would. But I guess I was wrong. It's not a big surprise. I've been wrong about plenty of other guys before. I just hadn't gotten this far before._

"_I thought you were different," I continued, tears flowing down my cheeks, "but you're just like every other guy; selfish, arrogant, and a liar!" _

_I turned, wiped my eyes, and walked away, but he grabbed my wrist and spun me back into his chest. His hand cupped my cheek as he leaned down to press our lips together. I closed my eyes and leaned into it, forgetting everything I had been thinking about. My mind cleared and all I could focus on was his hands slipping just underneath the back of my shirt and my fingers entwined in his hair. He pulled back smiling. "I told you, and I'll keep telling you. I'm not lying. I love you."_

"_I'm still having trouble believing you," I said, tilting my head up and smiling. He chuckled, grinned, and dipped his head down—_

The normal pounding on my door woke me the next morning. I groaned and rolled over into my pillow. Sighing, I pushed myself out of bed and went to the closet to pick out my outfit. I picked out an old pair of worn jeans and a brown turtleneck and I pulled a white furry vest over my arms. I slipped on my usual tennis shoes and brushed the knots out of my hair. It had a slight wave in it from being in a bun yesterday. I brushed my teeth as fast as I could. I hurriedly brushed on mascara and sprayed a twinge of perfume. I grabbed my bag and jogged to the living room where I tossed it on the chair and went into the kitchen to start breakfast. I decided to make bagels for everyone just to do something different.

I had them done just as Destiny came in. She stared as I placed them in front of her. He ground her teeth together. "It's all your fault! If you hadn't been here, I would've had him! I had him right there on top of me, and then he remembered _you_. If you hadn't—" she growled angrily. "You f****** b****!

"Daddy!" she yelled. I froze, and without thinking, dashed out of the door with my bag in hand. I only stopped after I got out of the driveway. I stared at the house for a while, surprised with myself, and continued down the road.

I would've never done that before. I would've stood there and took it. I don't know why, but I didn't. The more I thought about it, the more I realized I was tired of it. I'd lived with this, this _abuse_ for my whole life. Was it too much to ask for a normal life? Well, I was tired of it. I was tired of him pushing me around just because I couldn't do anything about it.

"Danny! Uh…" I spun around to find Josh leaning out his driver window, glancing to the road and then to me. "Did you, uh, still want a, um, ride to, uh, school?"

I scowled at him and turned around and froze. I gasped and my bag dropped from my shoulder. Glancing both ways on the street, I dashed across.

She gasped. "Omigosh! Danny! I—I didn't realize you were still _here_. I thought you'd be long gone by now! Omigosh! Give me a hug right this minute!" Michelle threw her arms around my neck and we hugged. We pulled back and studied each other. I raised an eyebrow at her outfit.

A wedding dress. She was in a _wedding_ dress. What? She held her white high heel shoes in her hand and the bottom of the dress was caked in mud and dead leaves. Leaves and twigs were snarled in her hair and I reached to pull them out. I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe she was here. Apparently, she saw my confused look at her dress. "Oh…yea…_this._" She said, disgusted. "I was, uh, obviously getting married. But… you know how I, uh, went missing, I guess?"

I nodded, gazing at her, confused. "Well, I met this amazing guy, and he, uh, found out about my…dad, and he basically made me stay there." A smile flickered across her face. "His name was Ray, but, uh, long story short, he asked me to marry him and my dad made me because he has quite a lot of money. But that's not why I liked him. But, anyways, I think Ray caught on, because he said no. And Father got a little angry and uh, killed him." she sniffled and rubbed her hand under her eyes. "But whatever. It doesn't matter. I'm just walking somewhere—I don't know where. So, I guess you're still not talking?" she tried smiling, but it was weak.

I closed my eyes and then opened them, hoping she'd get the pity that was there. I felt sorry for her. I don't know what I'd do if that happened to me. But I shook my head.

"Danny? Who's this?" I clamped my jaw together as the voice came up behind me and rested his hand on my hips. Michelle noticed, glancing from me to his hands, and then to him.

"My name's Michelle." She tried smiling again as she held out her hand. His face was set in a scowl as he glanced at her hand and then up to her.

"Josh. Nice to meet you." he said, but it didn't sound very friendly. "Can I talk to you…alone?"

She tilted her head slightly and glanced at me. "Uh, sure, I guess." He nodded his head to the right and she followed him to a spot where I couldn't hear them. After a while, she gaped at him and inclined her head towards him, asking something, I think. Again, she gasped and asked something again. He nodded and then tilted his head back towards me. He let her stroll back to me before he did. I crossed my arms over my chest and stared at him.

"What?" his jaw clenched. "I thought you were mad at me." I scowled at him.

"By the way…" he bent down and picked something up, my bag dangling from his hand. "You forget something?" I snatched it from him and narrowed my eyes.

Suddenly, his eyes darted away from me and tightened. "Didn't I tell you to stay in the car?"

I looked back to find Levi blushing as he came up behind me. He nodded. "Yea, but I wanted ta say hi ta Danny."

Josh rolled his eyes and his jaw tightened. "Fine, say hi and go back to the car. I'll be there soon."

Levi smiled and hugged me around the waist. Awkwardly, I returned the hug as best I could to an eight year old. "Bye, Danny!" Levi smiled shyly and turned back to run to the car.

Josh scoffed, shaking his head, and then turned back to smile at Michelle. "It was nice to meet you. And I hope that everything turns out, uh, okay."

She smiled. "Thanks…"

He turned to me. "You sure you don't want that ride?"

I sighed, hesitated, and nodded. _Sure. _


	7. Chapter 6

_**For those of you who don't know; Michelle is a character form another one of my stories, Forgotten. She started out in a small town, and I decided that it would be Sunset Valley. She and Danny used to be friends before Danny stopped talking, and then she suddenly just 'disappeared.' **_

Chapter 6:

Josh nodded. "Well, you gonna get in the car or what?"

I stayed where I was, crossing my arms over my chest. Why was he being such a jerk? I stood my ground, waiting for an apology. Normally, I wouldn't bother or care, but this wasn't him. I wasn't going to put up with it.

He sighed, rolling his eyes. Michelle chuckled. "I think she's mad at you. If I were you, I'd apologize."

His eyes narrowed. "Why? I didn't do anything. Besides, I'm not doing anything if she can't _talk_ about it."

I bit my lip, choking on tears. He frowned, but didn't say anything. "I think she thinks you're being a jerk, Josh. I really think you should apologize."

"Psssh," Josh rolled his eyes again, sighing in annoyance. "And who are _you_ to 'translate', huh?"

Michelle's jaw tightened and she rolled her shoulders back. "I was her _best friend_ before and after she went mute, so I've known her _a lot_ longer than you have."

Josh's eyes widened and his mouth parted open slightly. Just like that my anger evaporated and my hands dropped to my side. "Really?" suddenly he closed his mouth and his eyes hardened again. "And what does that have to do with _me_?"

I took a deep breath, biting my lip again so I wouldn't cry. I shoved my hands in my pockets and spun around, stomping to the car. "I should probably go now. Danny! Bye!" Michelle yelled after me. I couldn't turn back to wave at her, but I knew it would probably be the last time I saw her. I wiped a hand under my eyes.

Josh sighed loudly. "Danny! Danny, hold on!" a hand grabbed my wrist and turned me around to face him. I wiped my eyes hurriedly with my free hand. "I'm sorry, Danny. I shouldn't have said anything that smell—it was making me irritable." He shook his head in disgust.

I stared at him confusedly. "Oh, right. You probably couldn't smell it, could you?" he said, gazing somewhere else. I shook my head, wondering what he was talking about, but didn't dwell on it for long. I turned around and walked as fast as I could without running to his SUV. I opened the door to the front passenger side seat, where Levi had already gone to the back and freed the seat for me. I smiled at him as I got in, but Josh was right behind me... I frowned at him to show him that I was still mad, but he did nothing in return.

But just as he was about to put the car in drive, he stopped and sighed. "Danny, I really am sorry. I know I've been a jerk these last couple a days, and I have no excuse for it. All I can say is sorry and hope that you'll forgive me." he glanced at me and pushed the car in drive. I stared at him, and then out the window. I couldn't help but think that maybe he was telling the truth, that maybe he was just having a bad day or something, and I obviously wasn't helping either.

"So, uh…Danny! Hey! Where were you yesterday?" Iya said suddenly form the back, leaning in between our seats.

Josh shot her a glare from the rearview mirror. "Iya! Isn't that exactly what I told you not to ask?" he hissed.

She rolled her eyes and shrugged. "Well, you never told me _why_." She hinted.

"Yea, well, I ain't telling you now." He hinted right back, shooting a smirk at her.

She sighed, disappointed. "Oh, well, I can just talk to Danny than."

He shot her another glare. "Can't you just get a hint, Iya?" he growled.

She smiled innocently. "I can, but it's much more fun to aggravate you."

This time he turned around to glare at her. "I mean it, Iya. Knock it off." He said in a new, more demanding voice.

She hmphed and leaned back in her seat. "Fine. You're such a party pooper, Josh."

"Yea, well, get over it."

"I'm telling Mom you ordered around Iya with your—" Levi began, but Josh but him off.

"Levi! Enough!" he growled. I looked down out of embarrassment and found Josh's hand lying on the little table in between our seats. I stared at him for a second and then back at his hand. He did that last time. Why was he doing it again? I didn't understand. I thought about yesterday, about how I thought I realized I love him. Could you still love someone when they cheated on you? I stared out the window as I thought about it. If he did it once, he could easily do it again. But why should I care? It's not like he was mine to control. We weren't dating, I shouldn't care. I should be avoiding him. Well, at least if I wanted to live. Of course, I could hang out with him all I wanted just to end this miserable existence of mine. And yet… I had promised him I'd go ad ride with him today after school. And out of all that… what was I most worried about?

I had never ridden a horse before.

Not even on a little pony ride. I don't think I had ever even petted a horse before. Obviously, my parents had never let me get a pet. But of course when Destiny brought home a kitten she had gotten from one of her friends, they let her keep it. I had complained and, of course, got beaten for it. Needless to say, we never saw it get to adulthood. That was the first animal I had ever really met.

Poor thing. Hopefully, Josh's horses would be better taken care of.

Suddenly, I knew what I had to do. I would avoid Josh this entire day until I actually forgave him. Until I knew I could forgive him. But I wasn't in love with him. That was just me trying to believe that someone could actually love me, and in the mist of all the hurt I was feeling and the fact that he was holding me and comforting me when no one else had. And he got a point for that, but he had lost that when he left me. He would just have to make me forgive him and maybe, just maybe, make me fall for him.

Iya's voice brought me out of my thoughts, making me whip my head around to her lightly kissing his cheek. "Bye, Levi! Have a great day!"

He smiled, but his face flushed when he glanced at me. "Thanks. Will Danny be at the house when I get home?" he asked timidly.

Josh sighed, smiling and shaking his head. His eyes seemed bright now and he seemed…happier. "Yea, Levi, she might."

He turned around with his backpack slung over his shoulder and a smile on his face, and dashed into the small building where I went to school. We all smiled after him as Josh shifted it out of park and into drive. Iya suddenly laid her head on the table, staring at me, making Josh move his hand with a confused glance at her. "Iya!" he scolded.

She merely glanced at him and then turned back to me. "He's such a kill joy sometimes, isn't he?"

"Iya! Sit up!" Josh scolded again, trying to glance from the road to Iya and back again.

"Why? This is so much more comfortable!" she smiled, chuckling to herself. "Hey! Can I drive home?" she asked suddenly.

The car lurked forward. "What?!" Josh shrieked. "No! A thousand times no! You haven't even gotten your license yet!"

She shrugged. How she managed to do that, I had no idea. "So? I need practice for my test!"

"You have to drive with a _parent_, Iya. I'm your cousin!"

"Oh, please, please, please, pa-leeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaassssssss eeee!" she begged.

Josh made a noise somewhere in between a scoff and a sigh. "_Fine_. As long as you don't kill us."

"Well, then you wouldn't be alive to notice, now would you?"

"Just say thank you."

"Thank you!" Iya shrieked in her most girly, excited voice.

Josh sighed. "I am _so_ gonna regret this," he murmured to himself.

"No you're _not_." Iya said sarcastically.

Josh leaned back and relaxed in his seat. "I already am," I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing at the two of them. Josh's hand returned to the table, except this time on Iya's face.

She screeched, flinging her arms everywhere and actually punching Josh in the arm. He didn't flinch. "Josh!" she whined. "Get off me! Joshua!"

Finally, he took his hand off her face and she huffed. "You're such a butt-face!" she exclaimed childishly.

"Oh, I'm sorry; did you want that, too?" Josh said, threatening to get up and sit on her. She screamed, sitting up and into the back seat. This time I couldn't help but laugh along with them.

She pushed his shoulder. "Gosh! You're so _mean_! Ugh!"

Josh just laughed as we pulled into the school parking lot. Iya huffed as she slide out of the car with her books in hand and stomped away from us. He cut off the car and opened the door with his foot. His eyes glanced sideways at me. "I need to talk to you…somewhere else, alright?"

I raised my eyebrow at him, but opened the door slightly. Nodding, he jumped out, and I followed him. The car beeped behind me and his hand lightly touched my waist. I glanced at the front row of the parking lot and caught sight of Destiny and Jake—back together again. Involuntarily, I shivered, and Josh wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me closer to him. As we rounded to corner, he stopped and turned towards me. I leaned against the wall as he put his arm above my head. As he tilted his head forward, pieces of hair fell in front of his eyes.

"Normally, I'd just leave you to do your own thing before classes, but I won't do that anymore. With what happened with Jake last night, I'm not taking any chances with you alone near him, alright? I don't trust him, especially around you. I bet you he won't blink an eye at you when you're with me." he said, his eyes searching my eyes.

His hand enveloped mine. "Can you do that?" my breath caught in my throat as I glanced down at our hands and looked back up at him. He smiled when I nodded and entwined our fingers.

Wasn't I supposed to be mad at him? What was I supposed to be mad at him for? It was on the tip of my tongue, but his eyes gleamed as he led me back around the corner and towards the front door. I jumped, gasping as a horn honked in front of us. A tall, beach blond boy slide out of the driver's seat of an old blue pickup truck. Coffeeblue hopped out of the passenger's seat, and I could only assume that the boy was Cormac. He bounded up to us, picking me up and spinning me around. I was too shocked to be scared or even scream, but by the time he set me down, I was laughing.

"You must be Josh's new girl, huh?" he said, smiling and showing off almost perfect white teeth. His eyes were almost the same as Josh's, but they were an icy blue, and therefore not as bright.

Still smiling, I glanced at Josh. He took my hand and squeezed it. I turned back to Cormac and shrugged, blushing just a little. "Ya got a good one here, Josh," he rubbed his hand over my hair, and I ducked, "I think I might just have ta steal her."

Josh rolled his eyes. "Go get your own girl, Cormac."

"Nah," he shook his head, "No girl here appreciates a god ol' country boy. 'Cept this one right here." My breath caught in my throat and I glanced up, expecting to see jealousy, anger, or anything like that. But all I saw was excitement and a glint of a jokester.

"Mhhm…" A familiar, sharp voice said as she approached us. "And who are _you_?" Destiny sauntered up to Cormac, stopping about an inch away from him, looking him up and down.

"Name's Cormac, how 'bout you?" he replied, smirking. Coffeeblue looked from Destiny to Josh, and then to Cormac. She wrapped her arm around his waist and kissed his cheek. All of us knew that she was just being a sister, but Destiny didn't know. Destiny stepped back, and then glanced at Josh. Seeing our hands together, she scowled, hmphed, and moseyed away.

Cormac locked Coffeeblue's head in the crock of his arm and ran his knuckles around her scalp. "Now what was that for, CJ?"

She pushed away and smoothed her hair out. "I was saving you from countless days of heartbreak."

She rolled her eyes. "Who was she, anyways?"

"That was Destiny, Danny's older sister." Josh said bleakly.

Cormac's eyes widened. "Oh."

"RAWR!" Iya screamed, jumping on Cormac's back and wrapping her arms around his neck. Cormac laughed, holding up her legs that rested on his hips.

"Hey, Grace." He chuckled, balancing her on his back.

She frowned, leaning forward to look him in the face. "Hey, I'm not that clumsy!" Her leg slipped from Cormac's grasp and she screamed momentarily. He laughed again before dropping her. "_Haha! _You're so _funny_!" She said sarcastically.

He grinned arrogantly. "Thanks, I know!" he said jokingly.

Iya scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Danny!" she threw her arms around my neck. I pulled back slightly, stunned, but patted her back with my free hand. Finally, she pulled away just as the bell rang.

"Well, we'll see you later, guys. C'mon, Danny, let's get to class." Josh said, steering me away from them and back into the building. The wind was stronger than normal, whipping my hair around my face.

As soon as we got inside, he threw his head back and sighed. "They're _so_ embarrassing!" he exclaimed. I laughed, biting my lip and pushing my hair behind my ear. "So are you coming tonight—I mean, you know, to go riding?"

I blushed, shrugging. We stopped by my locker quickly so I could exchange my books. Destiny, standing by Jake in the middle of the hallway, was glaring at me. I stared at the floor as I closed my locker and started back down the hallway. I watched as a foot was stuck out in front of my feet, but was too slow to act. I gasped as I fell to the floor, pushing my hands out in front of me.

"S***," Destiny growled, "Why don't you save that PDA for the whorehouse?"

"F off, Destiny," Josh snarled, bending down and helping me back up, "What the h*** is your _problem_?" I gathered my books up off the floor and stared at my hands. Destiny scowled at him, but I dashed off down the hallway, pulling him with me. I heard her snarl curse words at us as I pulled us down the hallway. I let go of his wrist as soon as we turned the corner and stared at the ground he remained silent as we walked the rest of the way to class, but when I glanced up he was grinding his teeth together.

But as soon as we sat down in our seats, he growled through his teeth, "Why do you let them treat you like that, Danny?"

I shook my head, looking away and letting a veil of hair separate us. Suddenly, he pulled out a piece of paper and wrote something down, passing it to me. "Please. I only want to help, Danny," it said. I sighed at it, and then glanced up at Mr. Louis. Of course, he was staring at me, waiting to catch me of all people passing notes. But the bell rang, announcing the beginning of school—oh shoot. I gasped. I had forgotten to do my homework! Just as the teacher got up to put the movie on, I scribbled, "I forgot to do my homework!" on the paper. I pushed it back to Josh and pulled the stack of paper out of my bag. Just as I set the stack on the table, Josh snatched it from me, taking half of the papers and gave me the other half.

"Here. You do Spanish, since you actually know it, and I'll do everything else..." he tilted his head slightly and forced a smile. I frowned, sighed, but nodded. Spanish 4 wasn't all that hard, but it had a lot of homework.

Luckily, we got it all done by the end of class and Louis didn't even notice. I wanted to point and laugh at him; for one of the strictest teachers in the school, he wasn't that good at catching notes. Josh drummed his fingers on the table before saying, "You never answered my question." There was a pause when I didn't answer. "I only have one sister, and she's very young, but I would _never_ treat her like that. I just don't get it. Siblings fight and all, but that is _not _normal."

He watched me for a second before sighing. "Danny…is something going on between you and Destiny?" I ground my teeth together; it wasn't his business what my home life was. I locked eyes with him just as the bell rung, and he sighed, getting up and walking out without another word. I pushed my bangs behind my ear and draped my bag over my shoulder and followed the rest of the class out of the classroom. I didn't pass Josh on the way, which was alright by me. I didn't like the way he kept asking questions; I'd never had someone actually _care_ so much. He couldn't do anything if he found out, anyways. We're just kids, nobody would believe him. Nobody believed me. So why would they believe him? He doesn't know _anything_ about me, and I know nothing about him. I was the girl in the back of the classroom that no one paid any attention to. He was risking _everything_ in school to talk to me; his reputation, or his _future_ reputation. Popularity is everything to some people, and Josh seems like that kind of person. He's fun, and energetic, and _social_. He'll talk to you, make you feel special.

And then you find out he's just playing you.

I slide into the seat and pulled out my English textbook to do the sub work on the board. I thought about turning in my homework, but when I saw my name written in Josh's handwriting, I shook my head and figured it wasn't worth it to give it to a substitute.

You think you know him, and then you find out who he really is. I've been laid to, yea, of course, but I thought maybe, just maybe, he would be _different. _I thought he wouldn't be one to hurt me every time I turned around, and I thought that maybe someone actually cared about me— a _guy_ no less. Okay, maybe he didn't _actually_, physically hurt me, but I've never had my emotions so stretched before.

I didn't know if I _should_ go home with him, but I _wanted_ to. I wanted to go somewhere else; I didn't want to go 'home.' And the way that Destiny's been lately, I didn't want to come home to whatever she told Dad this time. I knew it probably wouldn't help to put it off, but I didn't want to come home only to be beaten down below everyone else. Josh made me feel…_equal_, normal even, if that was possible. Which it probably wasn't. But I loved the way I felt when I was with him. The way he made my heart beat rise, in a good way, the way he made my cheek heat up every time he complimented me. The _way_ and the _fact_ that he complimented me when no one else does… it was like nothing else.

But I hated the way he could hurt me so bad without even knowing it. The way my stomach ached when he touched me; I loved it and hated it at the same time. I hated the fact that my heart felt like it was ripping in two when he was with Destiny, even looking at her. I hated that I felt connected to him, that I felt _dependent_. I felt dependent on _him._ I've never been dependent on someone. Ever since I could remember, I did everything for myself, and sometimes even for the people I'm supposed to call family. I learned to cook when I was young; probably younger than five. I taught myself to read when I was three, and then afterwards I taught myself to write by the time I was four. I had to in order to read labels and directions. I taught myself numbers and math. Destiny was different back then, and she helped me a little; she was already in school. It started when she was about nine; she started being meaner and meaner, and kept fighting with me, even over the silliest things. Finally she told me that she hated me, and that I wouldn't be good enough for _anyone._

And that's what scares me, because I believed her, and I still do.

I used to tell myself that one day, when I was old enough to be _legally_ on my own, that I would met someone. I would met someone nice, and sweet; someone that wouldn't lay a finger on me if I didn't want him to. But now…now I'm tainted. He wouldn't want me if he knew. He might think he might, but if he finds out… he'd leave me in a heartbeat.

But he wanted Destiny. If not for a minute. And she's not a virgin, either, so he might not care about that. But I cared. I cared that I wasn't _me_ anymore. I was someone my father wanted me to be, someone my sister told everyone I was. So maybe, just maybe, he _would_ still want me when he found out that I was ruined.

No—_if_! _If_ he found out. _IF. _I definitely wasn't going to tell him, even if I could. I wasn't going to tell _anyone_. No one would even begin to understand my life. Especially lately. No one would understand. I didn't want anyone to understand, because I couldn't handle anyone trying to _comfort_ me, or tell me it was going to be okay. It wouldn't. My life was ruined. It was ruined by a guy my father _sold_ me to. I was going to go to college as soon as I graduated high school. I was going to find a guy, get my own apartment and marry a great guy that actually loved me. A guy nothing like my father, and everything like Josh. I was going to have kids, and leave my old life behind me. I was going to get over my fears, and my husband would _help_ me do it. I would _talk_ to him, and _kiss_ him. I would do _everything_ with him, and I would _love_ every minute of it.

But that was all gone now. It was almost impossible for me. At this rate, I was never going to get out of the house. He was going to keep me here; against my will if he needed to. I was never going to get out of here, and if I did, it wouldn't be a good thing. I was never going to experience a real life. I was never going to get a job, or have a kid. I was never, _ever_ going to have a _normal_ life. No matter how hard I tried, I would not be able to forget this year, let alone that day. I wanted to look back at my first and smile, but now when I look back, I'll shutter and probably even cry. I'll never live it down, and it's all because of my father. I wanted to know what life would be like without him. What would've happened if he hadn't been my father, or if I had had a different mom, or no sister? What would've happened if I hadn't meant J or Josh? Would the same things have happened, or would Destiny just have kept ignoring me and insulting me behind my back?

Oh, whatever, it didn't matter. What's done is done, and there was absolutely nothing I could do about it. There was no point in talking about ifs. It wouldn't change anything, anyways.

I was alert as I traveled down the hallways, glancing from side to side until I came to the last corner until the hall that my locker was on. I glimpsed around the corner, finding Jake and Destiny right by my locker. Of course. I sighed, relaxing my shoulder against the wall and staring at them, willing them to _go away_.

"They ain't gonna leave, ya know." I jumped, spinning around to find myself face to face with Josh's stunning smirk. "I overhead them talkin'. They're plannin' on ditchin' the rest a the day."

I sighed again, crossing my arms over my chest and leaning back against the wall. He held out his hand, his grin widening. "But I can _escort_ you over there." I couldn't help the corner of my lip tipping up just a little, but I placed my hand in his. His fingers closed around mine and pulled me around the corner. I repositioned the bag on my shoulder and stared at the tiles on the ground as we walked past the _couple_ and towards my locker. Destiny scoffed as I walked by, flipping her hair over her shoulder and leaning farther into Jake.

Josh stood next to my locker as I switched out my books, impatiently drumming his fingers on the lockers. His eyes glared in the couple's direction, almost as if he was _asking_ Jake to make a move. I glanced over my shoulder to find Jake staring back, defensive. He dipped his head down next to Destiny's ear. She glanced to Josh, and then to me, and scowled. "_Alright,_" I saw her mouth. He let go of her hand and turned on his heels, strolling towards me. I stiffened, and so did Josh, standing up straight.

Jake barely glanced at him as he placed his hand on the locker next to my ear. "Here, let me carry those books for you." he said, reaching for the thing in my hand. I tightened my arms around them, gulped, and glanced at Josh, begging him for help.

Josh ground his teeth together, stepping up to Jake. "Jake, leave her alone." He said through clenched teeth. The hallway seemed to fall silent instantly. I glanced around, finding people staring at us, staring at the boys, waiting for _something_ to happen.

For a fight to happen.

It was inevitable, but I knew Jake was just taunting him. "_Fight! Fight! Fight!" _someone started from the crowd, and soon everyone was chanting it.

Jake smirked as Josh glanced around uneasily, coming to the same conclusion that I was. "What're gonna do about it?"

Josh's eyes immediately locked with his and he clenched his jaw again. "Leave her alone." He repeated, clenching his fists by his side.

Jake straightened, sliding his hand down from the lockers and brushing my arm. Mechanically, I recoiled from him. His eyes connected with mine, and then returned to Josh. "Make me." he said calmly.

I lashed out for Josh's hand to calm him, so he wouldn't throw the first punch, but Jake was already stumbling back into the crowd. _"Ooohhh!"_ the students said in unison as Jake was pushed back into the circle they had made around us. I glanced back at Josh, dumbstruck, to find him biting his lip, his eyes full of regret as he glanced at me.

Surprise filled Jake's face as he rubbed his cheek, pulling his hand back to check for blood. He ground his teeth together, glaring at Josh, his eyes blazing and his fists clenching at his sides. He ran up to Josh and threw his fist, but found nothing but air. Josh had dodged, sliding to the right with his arms crossed over his chest and a smirk plastered on his face.

Jake ground his teeth again, glancing around at people scoffing and laughing at him. His face turned red. From embarrassment or anger, I wasn't sure. He tried again, but Josh ducked to the ground and swung his leg under Jake's, making him crash to the floor with an _Uf! _Bursts of laughter filled the hall and Jake tried to kick at Josh, but he caught his foot. Jake lashed out with the other, catching Josh's knee with his heel.

He let out a breath and stepped back, releasing Jake's foot. As he jumped up, I could see a bruise forming on his cheek. Good. Now he knows how I feel. But he wore a content smirk on his face, believing he was coming back.

Suddenly, the books were knocked from my hands, falling to the ground. I gasped and glanced up to find Destiny smiling down at me with an evil look in her eyes. She grabbed my hair, making me wince and gasp involuntarily. I tried pulling it back, but the back of her hand slapped my cheek. I stumbled backwards as she released my hair. I felt hands grabbing my back as I fell into someone. I gasped, spun around, and found myself staring into the hazel eyes of a student on the edge of the circle. I didn't bother glancing back to see what was waiting for me; I pushed through the crowds of the spectators, dashing down the hallway. I thought I heard someone calling after me, but I pushed it out of my head.

Thankfully, there were other people in the classroom when I entered. I pulled my bangs behind my ear and ducked my head as I made my way towards my seat in the back. When I reached down for my bag, I realized I had left it where Destiny had pushed it out of my hands. I sighed and bit my lip as I glanced around the room.

Josh entered the room not long after that, carrying my stuff under his arm. He sat down with a deep sigh and slid the things on my desk. He ran a hand through his hair and momentarily closed his eyes. "Sorry 'bout that," he said, shaking his head the slightest. "I couldn't help myself. I can't stand the thought of him touching you like that."

A shiver ran down my spine and I looked away, hating the guilt that flashed through me. Tears threatened to escape my closed eyes, but I took a deep breath and tightened my jaw. It was amazing how much time he could spend with me and yet know nothing about me. How could he not suspect something? But I wasn't sure if I wanted him to. A part of me wanted him to come and take me away from this place, from my family, and this _stupid_ town. But a part of me was scared of change, scared of the real world and what could happen.

Third period, lunch, and Spanish all went by quickly, with me drowned in my thoughts and not focused on the tests that I had missed. I was scared to go to my locker after school ended, but I was determined to go to Josh's no matter how I felt about him at the time. I wanted to see what a normal family was like, what _his_ family was like.

I stuck to the right side of the hallway on my way to my locker, tracking along the wall with my eyes glued to the floor. As I approached the hall filled with lockers, someone blocked my path. I stopped and glanced up at him, giving him my infamous, annoyed look. He beamed at me and slung his arm around my shoulders. "So I got ISS tomorrow…" he said as we began down the hall again, him matching my every step. "What the heck _is_ that? Institute of Silly Strings?"

I giggled, covering my mouth with my hand and pointed across the hallway, towards the ISS room, or In School Suspension. He scrunched up his nose in disgust. "Oh. I like silly string better. I'm gonna stick with that."

I smiled and rolled my eyes. "So you gotta date for the dance yet?" he teased, rubbing my shoulder before dropping his arm as we walked up to the lockers. I put in the combination, opened it, and gave him an 'are you stupid?' look. He laughed, taking my books from me and tucking them under his arm. I shut the locker and gave him a look before brushing my bangs back and starting down the hallway. He quickly caught up with me again.

"No, I'm serious! Most everyone's got a date by now!" he took my hand as we went through the doors, passing Jake and Destiny by her car. The strong winds wrapped my hair around my face and neck as we walked to his SUV, where Iya was sitting atop the hood, talking to some friends who we surrounding her on the ground. Most of them who happened to be guys.

Josh walked up and placed a hand on the hood, tilting his head slightly and smiling. "Hey Iya, what ya up to?"

Iya slid down off the hood, smiling back uneasily. "Oh, uh, hey Josh. "

"What're you doing on my car?"

She flashed an innocent smile. "Waiting for you, silly!"

He gave loud, exasperated sigh. "Did you still wanna drive home?" he said reluctantly.

She brightened automatically. "YES!" she rushed for the door, completely ignoring the guys she had once been talking to. Quickly, they dispersed when they realized they weren't going to get anything out of her.

He turned to me. "So you wanna get the front seat?" he asked hopefully. I gave him a look and opened the back door.

He sighed. "It was a long shot." He mumbled and put his hand on the door knob. I whipped out and took his hand, tugging him after me as I slid into the back seat. "I wish there were more seat belts…" he muttered as we buckled in. Iya slid her hands over the wheel, smiling excitedly.

I glanced at Josh worriedly and he just shrugged. "I told her she could. I _told_ you I was going to regret this…" the car lurched forward, and an angry couple flicked her off.

Iya pouted. "Well, _that_ wasn't very nice!" she yelled, even though the couple was long gone and the windows were up.

Josh leaned forward. "Maybe _I_ should drive. You're not even out of the parking space and you've almost killed someone."

Iya flashed him a glare. "I can _do_ this. Just calm down." She scolded.

Josh sighed and leaned back in his seat. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders again, and I leaned into him. "This is gonna be a _long_ drive."

We got out of the parking lot alive, and without killing anyone else, but the road was a different story. Thankfully there weren't any stop lights in the town, or we might have crashed.

"Iya! You just passed Levi's school!" Josh said, trying not to yell, and glanced back at the school.

"Oh, right, gotta pick him up." She said and did a sudden U-turn in the middle of traffic. Josh and I both screamed and he tucked me into his chest.

"Don't _do_ that!" Josh yelled after we somehow got out alive.

"Right." She nodded. "Got it." She stopped abruptly as we pulled into the elementary school's parking lot. A line of cars were ahead of us, but we slowly inched forward.

"Oh no. you've got to be kidding me, right?" Levi said as soon as he saw Iya in the driver's seat. "I have a test tomorrow. I can't afford to die." He said sarcastically as he got in and shut the door behind him.

"Oh come on! I got us here alive, didn't I?" Iya complained.

"Barely," Josh coughed.

Iya was very nervous at the wheel the rest of the way. She was stiff, with her arms straight out, barely bent at the elbows. But she got us there. Alive, and unharmed at least.

Josh helped me out of the car (which I didn't need, but he insisted). "Well, _that's_ not ever gonna happen again."

"Agreed," Iya and Levi said at the same time as they got out.

Josh laughed and nodded before holding his hand out to me. "Well, this is your last chance. Are you ready?" he smiled.

I bit my lip as I diffidently placed my hand in his.

_**Well…there you have it! I got stuck on this chapter so many times it's not even funny, but with the help of some friends, I managed to write :D I didn't have time to reread it, so sorry about all the typos and stuff! **_

_**Okay, so I've got two questions for you. One: What do you think's going to happen? Two: if you got to ask a question, what would it be?**_

_**Review PLEASE! :D**_

_**~Anni12**_


	8. Chapter 7

[Type text]

Chapter 7:

"Mommy! We're home! I'm hungry!" Levi called as soon as he entered the two story yellow farm house. He flung his backpack on the couch and rushed through a large archway, screaming something about snacks and school. Iya soon followed him, dropping all of her stuff on the couch. It was a large living room with a country accent. The couch was an off white with pillows that pictured a large yellow rose. The chairs around it were similar, and a square white coffee table with glass stood in the middle. Plants were everywhere; large and small, in every empty space. Before I could study it further, Josh put our school stuff near Iya's and pulled me after his cousin.

"Mommy, I'm _hungry_!" Levi whined, resting his chin on his hands, staring at who I believed to be his mother as she finished up the dishes.

She wiped her hands on the towel before coming over to wipe up the large, dark wooden table Levi and Iya were seated at away from the island in the middle of the kitchen. "I know, honey. You gotta tell me what you _want_."

"I _told_ you I wanted cookies!" he crossed his arms and leaned back in his seat, pouting.

"And I told you I wasn't going to make cookies." She replied calmly as she made her way back to the sink to wash the cloth off. Josh cleared his throat as we stood at the entrance to the kitchen. She glanced over her shoulder and did a double take, her eyes widening as she glanced from me to Josh. "Oh," she raised her eyebrows, "Hello! Josh, ya think ya could warn a woman? The house is a mess!"

Josh scoffed, running a hand through his hair. "Yea, this place is a complete _dump_." He said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

She placed her hands on her hips and gave him an irritated look. "Yes, it _is_, and you're _lucky_ I'm not making you _clean_ it _up_." She hinted, raising her eyebrows.

"_Starving_ here, if anybody cares!" Levi wailed.

Josh gave her a scowl. "This place is_ spotless!_"

Levi coughed. His mother tossed the cloth in the sink and went to a pantry hidden by a door at the edge of the kitchen. As she rummaged through the food, she spoke. "And I'm guessing this is Danny?"

"_Hungry,_" Levi moaned, leaning over the back of his chair, holding his stomach and pretending to die.

Joshua bowed slightly. "Yes, your madam." He said, putting on a slight British accent.

Iya giggled and his mother flashed him another cross look. "Go sit down, your royal Highness."

"Starving…to…death…" Levi gasped, half closing his eyes and staring up at the ceiling lifelessly.

"Au contraire," he said, heading over to the table, "wait…" he paused, "I don't speak French. What were we talking about?" The room burst out into laughter as I followed him to the table, where he pulled out a chair and gestured to it. No one noticed as Levi slipped from his chair, moaning and groaning. Josh nodded towards the chair as he locked eyes with me. Hesitantly I sat down just as Coffeeblue burst into the kitchen.

"I'm hooommmmeee!" she sang before catching sight of Levi. "Why is he on the ground?" she said, placing a hand on her hip and the other one pointing at Levi sprawled out on the floor. He was pretending to be dead, and he was doing well.

"Ah, who cares?" Cormac pulled a towel hanging from the counter next to him and twirled it. Coffeeblue yelped as he flicked it at her.

"Cormac, you jerkface!" she screamed, lashing out and punching him in the shoulder.

He raised an eyebrow, threatening her with the cloth. "You sure you wanna do that?" he twirled the cloth again, stepping towards her.

"Help!" she screamed, running around the island, using it as a shield from her twin. Josh finally sat down after watching the two. He leaned back in his seat and watched with a smile on his face. "You get away from me, you buttface!"

Cormac barely twitched his wrist and the cloth nipped her arm. "I'd stop calling me names, _twinny_."

She gave him a content grin as she rubbed her arm. "Bring it on, _Corm_."

I could see his jaw tighten at the horrible nickname. He jumped to the left, and so did Coffeeblue, smirking at him. "I told you never to call me that." He warned.

"It's only half your name, _Corm_, why don't you like it?" she teased, batting her eyelashes.

"It sounds like you're calling me corn; I am not a vegetable!" he yelled, jumping to the left. The twins ended up on the opposite side of the island than where they began.

"Corn…starving…dying…hungry…feeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eed meeeeeeeee…" Levi complained. Still, everyone ignored him.

"Alright! Alright! Go sit down you two!" she shooed them away.

"OH MY GOSH!" Levi cried, shooting up from under the table.

"What?!" everybody replied, well, except for me.

He frowned, his eyes narrowing. "I'm hungry."

"Fine," his mother snapped, pulling out a box of vanilla wafers from the pantry. She brought them over to Levi, who looked as if he was just seeing the sun for the first time.

"Hayw w'all!" a sweet, innocent voice called as a little girl wobbled into the kitchen. "Hi, Corm—!" her pale blond hair was tied in low pigtail braids and she wore a cowgirl hat. She was about one, and she wore overalls that were a little too big for her; the pink cowgirl boots completed the image. Her green/blue eyes were wide as they stared at the food in front of Levi. "COOKIES!" she ran over to Levi, who was just beginning to eat the first cookie.

She snatched it out of his hand. "Tank ywou!" she said, taking the taking the entire box along with her as she dashed out the kitchen.

"NO! HANNA! GET BACK HERE! THOSE ARE _MY_ COOKIES!" he jumped up and raced after her, Hanna screaming as he chased her.

"Don't you hurt her! She's mine!" Josh shouted after him, chuckling.

"Do I wanna know why Levi is chasing Hanna?" a boy's voice calmly said as a boy around Levi's age strolled into the kitchen. He definitely did not have the energy bursting around him that his family did; he was calm and laid-back.

"Kyler!" Iya screeched, pushing away from the table and rushing to give the boy a hug. "How's my favorite little brother doin', huh?"

He pushed her away with a roll of his dark brown eyes. "Considering I am your only little brother, I would've figured that." He flipped his long black hair that just stopped over his eyes.

"HANNA!" Levi screamed, and I could hear him bounding on the stairs.

"WEVI! WEAVE ME AWONE!" Hanna screamed, bursting into the kitchen clutching the box to her chest and leapt onto Josh's lap. She was breathing hard, glancing at the door. "He won't weave me awone, Joshywa!" she whined, stuffing a cookie in her mouth.

"_Hanna_! That's _mine_!" Levi whined as he ran into the kitchen. He crossed his arms over his chest and pouted. "Mommy! Make her give 'em baaaaaaacccccck!"

"Hanna, can you please give your brother some cookies?" his mother asked as she placed some chips and salsa in the middle of the table.

"Do I _have_ to?" she frowned, putting the big eyes on her mother.

"Yes, Hanna, you do." She said, taking a chip and dipping it in along with all the other kids.

"Here ya go, Wevi." Hanna gave him a handful of cookies. It wasn't much considering her little baby hands were well, _little_.

Levi scowled at the two tiny cookies in his hands. "No! I want _more_!" he lunged for the box, but Hanna screamed and dodged his hand. A deep rumbling echoed through the kitchen.

"Alright, buddy!" Josh said, taking my attention away from Levi. Quickly he set Hanna down on the floor and instead scooped Levi up. "That's enough." Josh hauled Levi out of the room, leaving a dead silence.

Suddenly a scream sliced through the air. "CORMAC!" A girl screamed again. "Cormac! Cormac! It came, it came!"

There were gasps and screams, and Cormac dashed out of the kitchen and into the living room. "No way! What does it say, what does it say?!"

Iya grabbed my arm, making me gasp. "C'mon!" she said, pulling me up and dragging me out along with everyone else.

"Mom!" Cormac yelled. "Give me the paper! It's _my_ mission call! Oh, c'mon, stop cryin'!"

"Fine, fine!" The girl, whom I was guessing was Cormac's mother, and therefore Josh's aunt, sobbed. We found Cormac sitting on the couch with the whole family surrounding him. Josh was still carrying Levi, and was standing over Cormac's back, while Cormac's mother was sitting on his right and Coffeeblue on his left.

Coffeeblue pushed his shoulder. "Open it! Open it!"

Cormac pushed her back. "Alright, alright, stop buggin' me." he said, staring at the huge envelope in his hands. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before ripping it open and pulling out a thick booklet. He smiled and glanced around at his family urging him to read it. "Dear Elder Miller," he read, "Oh my gosh, that sounds—"

"READ IT!" everyone interrupted.

"Fine, fine!" He said, shaking his head. "You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of The Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Well, of course, right?" he chuckled.

"Cormac!"

He scoffed, rolling his eyes. "You are assigned to labor in the Washin'ton Tacoma Mission. It is anticipated that you will serve for a period of 24 months. You should report to the Provo Missionary Trainin' Center on Wednesday, June 13, 2012. You will prepare to preach the gospel in the English language.

"I'm goin' to Tacoma!" He stood up. "I'm goin' to Tacoma—wait, where is that? Oh, look! It's signed by the prophet! Thomas S. Monson!" everybody screamed as I stood there awkwardly as they tried to grab the paper.

"It's in Washin'ton, by Seattle," his mother said through her sobs. Whether they were of excitement or relatively sad, I had no idea. "Read the rest of it, sweetie."

He plopped back down on the couch. "You have been recommended as one worthy to represent the Lord as a minister of the restored gospel. You will be an official representative of the Church. As such, you will be expected to maintain the highest standards of conduct and appearance by keepin' the commandments, livin' mission rules, and followin' the counsel of your mission president. As you devote your time and attention to servin' the Lord, leavin' behind all other personal affairs, the Lord will bless you with increased knowledge and testimony of the Restoration and of the truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

"Your purpose will be to invite others to come unto Christ by helpin' them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His atonement, repentance, baptism, receivin' the gift of the Holy Ghost, and endurin' to the end as you serve with all your heart, might, and strength, the Lord will lead you to those who are prepared to be baptized.

"The Lord will reward you for the goodness of your life. Greater blessin's and more happiness than you have yet experienced await you as you humbly and prayerfully serve the Lord in this labor of love among His children. We place our confidence in you and pray that the Lord will help you become an effective missionary.

"You will be set apart as a missionary by your stake president. Please send your written acceptance promptly, endorsed by your bishop. Sincerely, Thomas S. Monson."

A chuckle sounded behind me and an arm wrapped around my waist. Josh pulled me away from the Millers and down the hallway where we passed some stairs. The hallway lead into a huge dining room with a back door, where pictures of the family hung on the wall. Most of them were in front of a huge white building with a golden statue on it. I stopped to look at them; there were multiple pictures in front of multiple buildings. They all had different structures and the same statue on a spire, and yet they were all the same. Some had all the kids, and in some they were younger and a couple of the kids were missing. There were two of the parent's wedding picture in front of the building, the spire towering above them.

I almost didn't hear Josh come up behind me. "That's the temple. There's about 140 in the world. We try ta visit 'em as much as possible." He pointed to a picture with just the 'temple' in it. "This is the Washington D.C. temple, but it's in Maryland because they can't have any buildin' taller than the capital buildin' in D.C. Well, 'cept for the Washington Memorial, but that's a memorial, so it's different." He shrugged.

I nodded, studying it, still not sure what it was. "We go ta do baptism a lot with whatever ward we're in, and usually the family comes along." He pointed to the picture of his parents wedding. "My parents got sealed in the Palmyra temple in New York. Getting sealed is a big thing for us; it means your family can be together in heaven forever. So when they got sealed to each other, they also sealed all of their future children to them."

I nodded, finding one when Josh was younger. "If ya like, we can go sometime. We couldn't go inside, but we could go inta the visitor's center. The missionaries would know _so_ much more than me."

I shrugged, turning back to him. "C'mon, let's go." He lightly touched my waist and I followed him out of the hallway/dining room, and out the back door. The wind immediately whipped my hair around my face, blowing harder than it had been earlier. It whistled in my ears. The first thing I saw was green; green pastures with green trees in the background. A white wooden fence told the outline of the pasture, which held three huge horses. A large red barn overlooked the paddocks, only a few feet away from the house. I looked at Josh, but before I knew it, he was headed towards the barn. I scurried after him, glancing around.

The barn stunk of horses, but it was to be expected. I froze momentarily when I suddenly saw a man in the back of the stable, mucking it out. He stood and looked our way as soon as Josh came in. I almost gasped; he looked almost exactly like Josh, or well, Josh looked like him. He had the same chestnut brown hair, only bit shorter and his eyes weren't as bright. "Hey, Dad." Josh said, going to the back of the barn with his father and pulling down two bridles. "Can I take the horses out?"

His father glanced at me, and then his gaze turned back to his son with a smirk on his face. "Sure, but you need to feed Anthem first."

Josh sighed. "Alright." He beckoned me over, looking in the stall right next to the one his father was cleaning out. Hesitantly, I went over to him just as a little white foal threw its head over the stall door. "This is Anthem. He's a grey shire colt. Did you want to feed him while I go get our horses?"

I nodded slowly, reaching my hand out to stroke his nose. His coat was a grey/white and his mane was a little lighter. His eyes were big and dark, just like any other horse. Josh abruptly handed me a bottle of milk to me. "Here ya go. He should take it in an instant. Just hold on tight." He winked and walked out with the bridles in his hands.

Hm… how do I do this? Anthem was going wild, stomping his feet and tossing his head around. I offered the bottle to him and he immediately grabbed it in his mouth and began wolfing it down. He almost ripped the bottle out of my hand, but I tightened my grip on it.

"So you're Danny, hm?" a voice cut into my thoughts, making me look up at him. I smiled shyly and nodded.

"And you really don't talk?" he asked, paying attention to the stall and not to me. "Hm…I thought he was just exaggerating."

I shrugged, but I don't think he saw. Anthem was sucking on air, so I pulled it away from him and stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to do with the bottle, until Josh came back in, two sets of hooves clonking on the floor behind him. He had two horses flanking him, one about two hands taller than the other. It was the exact same color as Anthem, and it had hair covering its hooves. It tried to push by Josh towards me and Anthem, but Josh held it back. The other was shorter and thinner; obviously a different kind of horse. It was a creamy white with light coffee colored spots all around its coat. It had a small spot around its ear; which one was a brown and one was the same white.

"This is America," he said, rattling the bigger horse's reins, "She's Anthem's mother, so I'm gonna let 'em be together while I get him ready. Can ya open the door?" he nodded towards Anthem's stall.

I bit my lip, staring at him for a minute before slowly opening the door. America shot into it, and I shut the door after her. The mother and son nuzzled each other in welcome. I looked back up at Josh, who was smiling at me. "Good. Alright, so this is Beany Baby—he's Hanna's horse, can ya tell?" Josh patted the horse's nose, which had hardly made a sound the whole time. "Here, do ya mind holding his reins while I get the saddle?" he pushed the reins into my hand, and the horse took a step towards me. Leaning his nose in, he calmly sniffed my shoulder and moved to my hair. Tentatively, I rubbed his neck, and he seemed to like that because he snorted, flicked his ears and flipped his tail. He lifted his head and watched Josh as he came and set the saddle on the horse's back, tightening it around his stomach. The horse hardly noticed, and went back to sniffing me, nuzzling my hand that still held the bottle. Suddenly, Josh took the bottle from my hand and replaced it with something else. I brought my hand up closer to me so that I could open and see what it was before Beany Baby would get it.

Sugar cubes. It was sugar cubes. "You feed those to him, and he'll love you forever." Josh said as he walked behind me to get America from the stall. So I held out my hand to him and opened it and offered up the sugar. His lips tickled my hand as he ate them, and when he finished, he sniffed around for more.

Before I knew it, Josh had both the horses saddled and ready to go. "Have you ever ridden a horse before?" Josh asked as we led the two out of the barn. My horse, Beany Baby, walked easily behind me, and I could probably drop the reins and he'd still follow me. I shook my head as Josh pushed America away; she had been chewing on his hair.

"Well, BB's a good horse to learn on. Do you have any idea how ta ride?" he asked as he pushed her away again when she was sniffing the hem of his shirt. "America, would you quit?!" he groaned.

He stopped and went to America's side, hauling himself into the saddle. "I wanna show you the basics, so just watch me a minute." He kicked her sides and she walked forwards. "You gotta kick 'em to get 'em started, and turnin's pretty easy; you just pull their reins the way you wanna go." He pulled the reins to the left, and America turned left, and when he pulled right, she did also. "And pulling on the reins slightly will get them to stop, and if you keep pulling she'll go backwards." He pulled back on the reins, and America tossed her head, but backed up. "_Never_ stand up on the saddle; you just sit in it." He swung his leg back over and fell softly to the ground.

"That's about all you need to know." he walked over and grabbed the reins from me. "Grab this thing right here," he tapped the saddle horn, "and put your foot into the stirrup and kinda just jump up." So I put my foot into the stirrup and pulled myself up; I could feel Josh's hand lightly touching my waist. I settled myself in the saddle and slipped my other foot in the opposite stirrup. Josh handed me the reins and smiled at me and then got back up on America.

"You gotta kick 'em hard. Don't worry, it won't hurt 'em, I promise." I gulped and nodded as I gripped the reins. I dug the heels of my shoe into the horses side not too hard, but not soft either. Luckily, Beany Baby got the idea and set off at a calmly walk. Josh did the same thing and soon we were heading towards a trail into the forest.

"You probably have no idea what just happened in there, do you? With Cormac's mission call?" Josh asked as he leaned back in the saddle, looking so comfortable. I tried to relax as he did. I found that he was looking at me, expecting an answer. I shrugged, but shook my head.

He smiled and looked up at the sky. "In our church, the young men are encouraged to serve a mission when they're nineteen for two years. The missionaries go out to their assigned area and teach the gospel ta those who're willing. There's a whole lot more ta it than that, though." I nodded, looking at him with a question in my eyes.

"I'll serve a mission after I graduate high school and go to college for a year. I'm hoping to go outta the country, but it doesn't really matter ta me. Wherever they need me, I'll go. 'I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.' Ah, seminary, ya gotta love it."

I stared at him for a while, wondering how he could remember that off the top of his head. He sighed, smiling and shaking his head. "Seminary is like Sunday school, but in the early morning. We study the scriptures every morning, and they have things called scripture mastery's, which are the really important scriptures, and we're told to memorize them and where they are. That one's 1 Nephi 7:3 I think."

In my house, we never even had a Bible enter the house, let alone be able to read it. I knew very little things of the Christen religion, but I knew the basics. So I had no idea that the verse he was talking about wasn't in the Bible. "We're studying the New Testament this year. The Book of Mormon was my freshman year, so I didn't think I'd remember it, but I guess some things just stick with you."

I stared at him, blinking. "You have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?" I shook my head, confused. "Not even the Bible? Please tell me you know about the Holy Bible and Jesus Christ."

I smiled shyly and shrugged, biting my lip. He smirked, his eyes lighting up. "Then I guess you'll just have to come to church with us on Sunday." He winked.

I bit my lips again, shrugging. I'm sure my father wouldn't allow me to go to church, but I wanted to. I wanted to know more about Josh, and learning about his religion could be a good thing.

All of a sudden, a movement caught my eye and I looked up; a branch was coming loose from the trunk of a tree, right in Josh's path. It looked as though it was just about to fall.

Right when Josh and America would be standing under it. I had no choice; I had to warn him, or he could be seriously injured, and so would America. I opened my mouth to say something, but nothing came out. I was terrified. I hadn't uttered a word for two years. _Two years._ And now I was about to break that for this guy I supposedly wanted to avoid. But I wasn't going to let a branch _fall_ on him. I glanced up at it; it was on its last strand, and still breaking. "Josh!" the words slipped from my mouth flawlessly.

I pulled on BB's reins to get him to stop as Josh turned to look at me, his mouth parted in surprise. "The _branch_." I said, pointing urgently at it. He followed my finger and pulled on America's reins, getting her to back up just as the branch fell. The horses startled and backed up further, tossing their heads and snorting. Beany Baby calmed first, but Josh had to stroke America's neck for her to calm down.

He turned in the saddle to look at me. "You talked," he stated in complete surprise.

I smiled, blushing deeply, and shrugged. "I couldn't have you dying on me, now could I?" I said softly, staring at a flip in the horse's mane and trying to fix it, trying to occupy myself so I wouldn't have to look at him and his startling eyes. My heart was thundering in my chest, and I vaguely wondered if he could hear it. And when I finally looked up at him, it did a little flip as I saw him right at home in that saddle. It was almost as if he had been riding before he could walk.

His eyes narrowed in amazement. "No, I guess not." He glanced ahead of us, breaking our eye contact and snapping me out of a trance; I was getting lost in his eyes. The pair began moving again, and we followed as he continued down the trail with America jumping over the branch. "Well? Do you like it? Horse riding, I mean." He asked, glancing at me.

I shrugged. "Yea, I guess." I could hardly get my voice above a whisper, but he heard me all the same.

His gaze lingered on me for a little longer than necessary. "I just can't get over that you're _speaking_ to me."

"Do you not want me to?" my heart constricted, and I stared at my hands on the reins.

"No! It's not that, but just a second ago, you weren't speaking, and now you are, it's just… wow, ya know?"

I shrugged, staring off into the woods. The wind was calming, but not that much. "So if I _did_ go to church with you—which I'm not saying I can, because my father's very…_strict,_" the lie slipped from my mouth with difficultly, "what would happen? What's church _like_?"

"You've never been to _church_?" he asked in amazement.

I shook my head. "No, my father doesn't believe in anything like that."

He stared at me in shock. "Well… um… we have sacrament first, which is where the priesthood serves bread and water symbolizing the body and blood of Christ, and where people give talks on certain subjects, and then we have Sunday school where our teacher, Sister Moore, teaches us about the scriptures; kinda like seminary, but it's different. And then we have another class that separates girls and guys. You would go to young women's with Coffeeblue and Iya. You know—if you come."

"I'd like to," I whispered, wondering how he could hear me. "But it's not like I can _ask_ him or anything."

"Yes you _can_," Josh insisted. "You can talk to him. I'm sure your family'll love for you ta talk again."

I couldn't help but scoff, shaking my head. "Yea, right. It's so much easier _not_ to talk."

"Why would you say that?"

"Because I can't get in trouble for talking back, or being sarcastic. And in my house, getting in _trouble_…it's big thing." I looked away so he could see the hurt in my eyes as I lowered my voice at the end, almost where I couldn't even hear it.

"You can't live your whole life in silence."

_If my _life_ keeps going the way it is, then I hardly have any time left. _I stayed silent, not sure what to say. I could, and I did, and I could do it again if I wanted.

I didn't even know why I was talking to him right now.

My first conversation in years, and it wasn't going so well. "Josh, why'd you move here?" I asked suddenly to change the subject.

He looked at me, smirking. "Why, you wishing I would go back?" the corner of his mouth picked up.

I blushed slightly, shaking my head. He chuckled, smiling. "We came from a small town in Kentucky not far from Lexington."

"Why? Why would you want to move _here_, in the middle of nowhere?" I scoffed again, rolling my eyes.

"It was a small town with a lot of trees, and the whole reason we left was because they were cutting down all of the trees." _Why do they care about trees? _I thought, but I didn't question it.

"How did you _find_ the place?" a smile tugged at my mouth.

"_A lot_ of driving," his eyebrows rose as he rolled his eyes. "Follow me; I know the perfect place to go." He gave America another kick and she sped up to a trot, going in front of me and BB, taking a trail to the right that was obviously not used as often. I pulled his reins to the right and he turned after the pair, speeding up even when I didn't kick him. I followed Josh, staying silent and looking around. Squirrels bounced from tree to tree and scurried around on the ground. A couple of deer spotted us and disappeared in the foliage.

"Here," Josh said as he jumped off America without even stopping. "I love this place. I found it when Anthem decided to run off. It's so beautiful." He grabbed his horse's reins and led her over to a creek at the edge of the forest. He glanced back at me as he tied them to a low-lying branch leaning over the water. Immediately, America dipped her head and began drinking. I stopped the horse and slid off, grabbing the reins and also led him over to the water.

Josh stood to the side with his hands in his pockets. "Do you wanna start a fire?" the side of his mouth picked up in a grin.

My eyes widened and I blinked at him. "A fire? You know how to make a fire?"

He shrugged. "Well, yea, I learned in Boy Scouts. Some of 'em even called me Ashes. It's a dumb nickname, but we were like 12." He scoffed, turning around. "We need to find some kindling; some dry leaves and twigs. I think I brought some matches; usually they're in their saddles."

"Well… alright…" I said, and rummaged through the woods for some twigs. "Where do I put them?" my voice was so low, I had no idea how he heard me, but he did.

"Put 'em near that clear spot right over there." He answered, pointing to it. I set my two handfuls of the stuff right next to it. Soon, he crouched next to me with an armful of twigs. He set it down and took a couple of twigs and set them in a tipi shape, stuffing the inside with dead leaves. He got up and went to the horses, digging in the saddle pouches and pulling out a box of matches. "Ha! Told you." He said, smirking.

He crouched down deadly close to me, close enough that our skin brushed together and lite a match, poking the flame into the dead leaves. They caught on fire almost immediately, licking up at the twigs and burning them. He kept stuffing more dead leaves in it and adding more twigs to the structure. He leaned back on his elbows, sighing contently. "I thought we'd stay here until dinner. Shouldn't be too long, but my house is _so_ loud. Levi and Hanna are probably fighting over something stupid right now."

Hesitantly, I lay down next to him, staring at the fire. "They're cute; especially Hanna."

He smiled. "Definitely," he agreed.

"Is she your little sister? Are there any_more_ of you guys?" I smiled shyly, glancing up at him, at the ground, and then back up at him.

He lay fully on the ground with his hands behind his head and closed his eyes, smiling. "No, not yet. That's all of us."

My chest swelled as I studied him, his skin glowing in the light of the fire, and his hair a little longer than when he had first come. I loved the way his t-shirt framed his chest, and the next thing I knew, I found myself lying down on his chest and closing my eyes. I felt him take a deep breath and wrap his arm around my shoulders. For a second, everything was amazing; my life was perfect, in that small second.

But in the next second, I remembered that I wasn't. I wasn't good enough for him; not good enough for anyone. I had grown up hearing that. _"You're worthless! I wish you had never have been born! No one even _likes_ you, why are you still here? You'll never be good enough for _anyone._" _ I flinched involuntarily and clutched a handful of his shirt in my hand. And they were right. I wasn't; I never had been, and I never will be. Especially now. Now no one will want me. I'm ruined, and no one buys broken junk. He needed someone else. He might not know it now, but he'll wish he'd never met me. His whole family will hate me; I know it. I hate myself. I hate what's happened to me, and the family I was put with. What did I ever do to them? Why do they hate me so much? I just didn't understand.

What did I do?

Josh propped himself up on his elbow. "Danny…" he breathed, making me look up into his remarkable eyes. I lifted my head up as he reached his hand over to brush his fingers across my cheek. I blinked up at him, confused by the tingling and the shiver running down my spine. It felt…good…almost like…I belonged there. In his arms, with his mouth claiming mine.

Then, suddenly, my eyes focused again, finding Josh leaning in towards me. No. No. I wasn't ready for this. He couldn't kiss me; I wouldn't drag him into my messed up life. It wasn't right, and he didn't need this. _I_ wasn't right, and he didn't deserve _this_. He didn't deserve to be pulled into my life; he didn't need this.

"Josh, I—I can't." I stuttered, pulling back when his lips were inches from mine.

Josh furrowed his eyebrows, sitting up along with me. "What? What did I do?" his eyes were so soft and understanding, that I didn't want to put him down. But I knew I had to. It would be best for him, I knew it.

"I—I don't d—deserve you. I—I'm n—not gu—good enough f—or you." I said, staring at the dirt with my hands trembling. My mind was going back without my permission, and I was there again without wanting to be.

"Of course you are. What are you talking about?" he reached his hand over to place over mine.

I stood up quickly, muttering, "I—I gotta gu—go." I pushed my bangs behind my ear and rushed over to my horse.

"Danny! Wait!" Josh called after me as I untied Beany Baby's reins and hauled myself up on the saddle. Briefly, I made eye contact with him as I turned the horse around and kicked him slightly. He started off almost like me could detect my mood. I didn't look back, but I knew that Josh was not far behind me. He would understand eventually; I knew that. That was the kind of guy he was. He was very understanding, and he was very smart. Sooner or later he'd realize that he didn't want me, and I wasn't worth all the trouble. I didn't want to be there when he realized it.

I couldn't handle being hurt again.


	9. Chapter 8

[Type text]

Chapter 8:

When I stopped at the stable, my eyes were filled to the rim with tears. I slid off the horse and grabbed his reins, leading him in. Luckily, Josh's father wasn't there, but I didn't know what to do with Beany Baby. I kept his reins in my hands and walked over to Anthem.

_What are you doing? Who says you're not good enough?_ I hadn't heard that voice for a long time, but I knew exactly who it was.

I jumped, clenching my jaw. _Who says you're allowed to listen in to my conversations? _I snapped, rubbing my hand across Anthem's ears.

_I do. Especially when you have absolutely _no_ self-esteem. You're better than that. You're so—_he began, but I cut him off.

_Shut up. I don't want to hear it, alright? I know I don't, and there's nothing you can do to change that._ I said as Anthem sniffed my hand for any sign of food.

He was speechless for a second._ Fine. Alright. I get that. But I want you to know that you_ are_ good enough for him; you're good enough for anyone you choose. You are beautiful._

_Whatever._ I thought bitterly as Josh walked in with America behind him.

"Danny, are you okay?" he said, the noise of America's hooves clonking behind him was loud.

I didn't answer, tilting my head so my hair slipped from my shoulder to shield my face. He sighed, beginning to take off the horse's saddles. I went to the corner as I watched him lead America to the stall with her baby and take off her reins, shutting her in there. He did the same with BB in the stall right next to the mother and son. After he hung the bridles up on the wall, he turned to me with a frown. "Stay for dinner. Please." He begged.

I really shouldn't have, and if I had answered differently, things might have gone different. But his eyes were melting me, and I couldn't say no. I nodded slightly, sliding past him and out the stable doors with him close behind me. "I'm sorry if I did anything wrong," he said as he caught up with me.

"Please don't tell anyone about me talking; it wouldn't be good." I asked, turning to him and looking up at him through my lashes. If word got out that I had started talking again, and if it reached my father…I knew he would be mad, and he being mad was never good for me.

He furrowed his eyebrows and shut his mouth. "Well, alright, but that doesn't mean you won't talk to me again, right?"

I averted my eyes to the ground again. "I don't know," I whispered, my throat closing.

"Alright," he said, gently grabbing my chin and making me look up, "but you should really stop looking down all the time. You have the prettiest eyes, and they shouldn't be looking at the ground all the time."

A blush crept up my cheeks and I bit my lip. He pushed my hair behind my ear and his lips picked up in a slight smile. "I'd tell you not to do that, but—" he began, but a yell cut him off.

"DINNER!" his mother called, cutting him off. He smiled, shaking his head.

"C'mon, let's go." He said reluctantly, opening the back door. I went in just as Levi rushed past.

"Have you seen my DS?" he asked, out of breath.

I shook my head and he dashed off again. "DINNER!" his mother called again. I glanced over to the dining room table to see Hanna peek up and glance around, settling herself into a chair and playing on something.

"Hanna," I heard behind me, and Josh slid past me, walking up to Hanna. I followed him hesitantly, not wanting to go to dinner by myself. "Does Levi know you have his DS?"

The game counsel thing was a dark blue, and rectangular. I had never seen anything like it. "Yes," Hanna answered in her little girl voice, her eyes widening in innocence.

"Are you sure?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest and raising an eyebrow at her.

"Yes," she answered again.

"Alright, so if I called Levi in here—" Josh began before Hanna cut the DS off and handed it to him, leaping off the chair and dashing out of the room. "I thought so," he finished, flinging it on the table.

"JOSHUA! Dinner! C'mon!" His mom called.

"Yes ma'am, we're coming!" he called after her, flashing a grin at me and shrugging. He started off towards the kitchen, faster than normal and I scurried after him.

"Alright, serve yourselves, and we'll have prayer in the living room." His mom ordered, gesturing to two pots on the stove. So, everyone grabbed a plate and moved, following the line, scooping some yellow stuff out of the pot and onto their plates, and then kept going for a drink. I had no idea what I was doing; I had always _made_ dinner and hardly served myself, but I hadn't done this at all. It was a strange feeling, being waited on for the first time in a long time.

"Levi! No eating before prayer; you know better." His mother scolded, catching him in the act of lifting a spoonful of mac and cheese to his mouth.

"But Hanna's eating!" he said, putting his spoon down and pointing to his little sister.

Hanna said, "No I not!" but it sounded more like, "Nominot!" coming from a mouth stuffed with food.

Mrs. Miller tried keeping a serious face, but when everyone began chuckling, she couldn't help it. Josh pulled out his phone and snapped a quick picture of the tattle-tale in progress. "Levi she's _one_, she doesn't know any better. Otherwise, you _do_. Hanna, don't eat before prayer."

She blabbered out something and brought the dish up to her mouth. "Don't spit it out!" Her mother screamed, making me jump. Hanna's eyes widened, but she swallowed what she had with difficulty.

When we all had our food, the whole family scrambled into the living room. Josh sat at the corner of the couch, and I sat beside him, leaving about an inch of space between us. Iya sat next to me, curling up beside me. I didn't like the fact that she was touching, so I slid over closer to Josh. "Danny," Mrs. Miller called, making me gaze up at her, "We always say prayer before dinner. I hope that's alright by you?"

What? Why did she care what I thought? Who was I to say they couldn't do something? I stared at her for a while before shrugging slightly; hating the fact that everyone's eyes were focused on me. She smiled brightly. "Alright, _Elder Miller_, can you please say the prayer?" she said, averting her gaze to Cormac.

He raised an eyebrow, but crossed his arms over his chest. "Technically, I'm not a missionary yet, but, yes, I will say the prayer." He smiled, bowing his head and closing his eyes. Very much to my surprise, everyone did the same, and the house was completely silent for a second; even Hanna had folded her arms. Cormac began speaking, talking to someone called 'Heavenly Father' and thanking him for most of the things we take for granted, and asking him to 'bless' people I didn't know. Honestly, I had no idea what was going on, but something strange settled in me and I calmed down as I heard a voice in my head.

_He is good._

At first I thought it was J, but instinctively, I knew it wasn't. This was different. I closed my eyes, feeling as if the weight of the world had been lifted off my shoulders. But it all broke after they had all said, "Amen," and began talking. It just disappeared. Simple as that. I didn't know what it was, but I liked it.

Shaking my head and clearing the weird feeling from my thoughts, I poked around my plate. I couldn't eat this. It was so nice of her to cook it, but I had never eaten something that I didn't cook—oh crap.

I wasn't home to make dinner.

I'm dead. I'm officially dead. My father would be so mad—scratch that—he was probably _already_ mad as heck. I had to get home as soon as possible; every minute that I delayed going back, the worse my 'welcome' would be. Without thinking, I stood and hurried into the kitchen with my untouched food. I scraped the mac and cheese back into the pot of leftovers and washed and dried my plate, scurrying around the kitchen, looking as to where they were stored. After I found it and placed it gently inside, I sat in one of the chairs to the small table and covered my face with my hands, trying to calm my shaking body. I didn't _want_ to go home, but I knew the sooner I went, the less my punishment would be. _Why_ he cared so much about it was beyond my knowledge, but I got the feeling that he looked for the simplest things to beat me for. I didn't know _why_ he did it, all I knew is that he did, and I knew it was something I did. He hated me. I didn't know why, but it was my fault. It was all my fault.

"Danny, are you alright?" A _clink_ on the counter told me that Josh had set down his plate. His footsteps were clear and loud as he walked up behind me, pulling out a seat next to me. "What's wrong?" he reached out a hand to touch my arm, but I turned towards him so he couldn't reach.

"I have to go home." I whispered shakily, hugging myself so my body would stop trembling.

His eyes narrowed in suspicion. "You can stay here, Danny. You can stay with us until tomorrow."

I shook my head, sighing and standing up. "Thank you, but I have to go." I inhaled shakily, brushing my bags behind my ear. Tears were stinging my eyes, and I didn't want hi to see me cry anymore than he had to. He stood abruptly, grabbing my shoulders gently to get me to stop.

He ran his fingertips across my cheek, staring into my eyes. He wouldn't let me look away, but instead I stared into his eyes, studying the tiny specks of gold inside them. "Stay here," he breathed, "Stay with me." He smiled when I found myself nodding without my permission.

I snapped back into reality when he blinked, and I shook my head to clear my thoughts. "Is it alright if you stay in my room?" his eyes were bright, and his smile mirrored it.

No, no it wasn't. Not at all. But again, I found myself nodding, not really know what I was doing.

"Hey guys!" Iya bounced in, well, skipped really, and put her plate in the sink. "I can't _wait_ to go shopping tomorrow!" she squealed, coming up and hugging me. I awkwardly patted her arm until she let go of me.

"Iya," Josh grabbed her arm as she started out. "Tell Mom that Danny's staying the night." Iya frowned, glancing from him to me, and back to him.

"Alright, but I can guarantee she won't liiikkkeee it." She sang, dancing out.

"Okay, then." He dragged out the words, staring after her. "How would you like ta go watch a movie?"

Believe it or not, I had never actually seen a movie. Whenever my family watched TV, I was never with them. I couldn't stand being with them. I was usually up in my room with the door closed, writing and listening to music. I was never allowed a TV in my room, and the only reason I had my iPod was when my mom had one of her little spites when she felt _sorry_ for me. I shrugged, just wanting to lean into his chest, close my eyes, and forget everything.

"C'mon, you can pick the movie." He glanced down, almost as if he wanted to take my hand and lead me, but he decided not to and walked out with me at his heels. I ignored the family still in the living room and followed him up the stairs—alone. My hands were shaking so badly that I had to put them in my pockets to stop them. I wanted to trust him, but I hoped I wasn't pushing it too far.

Opening a cabinet, he pulled out a box filled with movies. "Here are some of 'em."

Hesitantly, I took them from him, staring into it and not recognizing one of them. "I've never seen a movie before—I don't know what these are." I admitted in a reluctant whisper.

I glanced up to see him frowning at me with a confused look on his face. "_Never? _You've _never_ seen a _movie_ before?"

I fingered through them so I wouldn't have to look up at him again. "Only at school," I shrugged, sighing and chewing on the inside of my lip.

"Wow, alright, so _you've_ lived under a rock your entire life, so I'll pick one." he rummaged through the box, "So action? Comedy? _Romance_?" he asked, glancing up at me, pausing.

"What about this one?" I asked, pointing out one called _27 Dresses_.

He groaned. "Ohhh, a chick flick? Really?"

I blushed, taking a step back. "If you don't want to—" I began.

He took out the movie, shaking his head. "No, that's fine, I was just kidding." He furrowed his eyebrows, staring at me in confusion. I nodded, and he took the box from my hands, putting it back into the closet. He started again down the hallway and into the room at the end.

He opened the door and let me in. He never closed it after me, which I was grateful for. Instead, he went over to a medium sized flat screen in the corner on top of a black nightstand. It was a dark room, but the carpet and the walls were an off white, but all the furniture was black. I felt like it had a hidden meaning to it, but I didn't know why. The full sized bed was in the middle of the room, it's comforter a black, and the pillows were black, white, and a couple red. Two doors stood on either side of the bed, probably a closet and bathroom. On the left of the bed was a dresser sitting underneath a window with a bunch of pictures and awards; mostly sports and Boy Scouts. A hamper stood in the corner between the door and the wall with dirty clothes spewed around it. On the right side of the bed, a desk stood diagonally in the corner nearest to me and a huge bookcase in the middle of the wall.

And it was _clean_.

Which was weird. Even Destiny's room wasn't this clean. Well, except for the dirty clothes. Josh suddenly jumped onto the bed, landing on his back with his hands behind his head. Pillows flew up around him and landed on the floor. "C'mon! I don't bite." He flashed his teeth in a grin, which were oddly sharp, but when I blinked, they were normal again. He winked.

"Okay, okay, I _promise_ I won't." he said, sitting up and staring at me.

I pulled my hair from my neck and pushed my bangs behind my ear before answering. "I'm not really…_used_ to being…_alone_ in a room with a guy." I blushed deeply, studying his room further. Of course I had been alone with a guy, but that never, _never_, _NEVER_ ended well for me.

I glanced up to see his jaw clench. "I'm not Jake. I promise. I won't do _anything_ you don't want me to. I swear."

"I know that, and I never thanked you for that—so thank you for sticking up for me when I never did, but I'm just…_scared_, ya know?" I asked.

"Jake _is_ scawy." Josh joked, mimicking Hanna's voice.

I laughed, rolling my eyes. Finally, I crawled in next to him. "Why do you think you're so funny?" I shook my head, glancing up at him as I curled up next to him.

He smiled arrogantly. "Because I am!" he said surely.

"Sure, you keep thinkin' that." I said, laying my head on his chest.

"I will, thank you very much." He said, leaning over and getting a remote from his bedside table. He pressed play and it began showing a girl at a wedding. I frowned at it. I wish I could have a wedding. I sighed, closing my eyes and breathing in his musky scent. He smelled wonderful; of forests, and dead leaves. Most of all, he smelled of country.

_My hands were shaking as I slipped the chicken from the pan and onto the plate, covering it in a thin layer of salt; the way my father liked it. I gulped before picking it up carefully, trying to calm my trembling body and slowly made my way into the living room where my family was waiting. I had to serve each and every one of them; but I couldn't do it all at the same time. Father was first. He always came first._

_I kept my gaze down, looking at either the chicken or my feet. I could never make eye contact; _never_. It was 'disrespectful'. I didn't think it was, but I didn't dare argue with the man who could end my life so quickly. I didn't speak as I reached over to hand him the chicken, still taking a step forwards. Something suddenly caught on my foot, propelling me forwards and flinging the plate into my father's face. _

_Mentally, I cursed myself as I stood up, backing away, shaking my head and trying to find out some way to apologize. But my father never listens to me. For a moment he seethed in his anger as the chicken slid from his face to his lap, and in the next second, he took the dish from my hands and broke it over the side of my head. _

"_You f******* b****! You're so f****** clumsy! You worthless, good for nothing, b****!" he yelled, standing as I collapsed on the ground, staring up at him as a trickle of blood slide down my scalp and down my nose. This was all my fault. I'm such a klutz. I couldn't do anything right!_

_I didn't know how I was kept conscious after he hit me with the plate, but I had, and now I had to go through his beating. He grabbed the collar of my shirt, yelling in my face and calling me names even I couldn't understand. He slapped me multiple times and grabbed a fistful of my hair with his free hand. He pushed me up against the wall, holding me by the throat with one hand, and punching my stomach with the other. I scratched at him arm as black dots interrupted my vision, my small lunch coming back up as he hit me. I stared at my mom, begging to help, but none ever came._

_None ever comes._

_I screamed, but his hold on my throat just tightened until I couldn't get any more air in. The black dots grew larger and larger until they completely clouded my sight and I couldn't feel anything anymore—_

"Danny! Danny! Honey, wake up!" someone shook my shoulder, calling out my name. My breaths were shallow and coming in short gasps. I couldn't breathe; someone was choking me.

"Danny!" the boy speaking shook me again, trying to get me to wake up. But I couldn't. I was stuck somewhere between the two worlds.

Suddenly, I gasped and opened my eyes, finding Josh leaning over me with a worried expression. With the dream still fresh in my mind, I rolled out from under him and to the other side of the bed. I sat up and kicked my legs over the side, trying to breathe again. He crawled over and sat next to him. "Bad dream?" he asked, watching his feet as he kicked the carpet with his toe.

_Not the worst._ I replied mentally, my shoulders shuddering as I thought about the _worst_. I nodded, taking in a shaky breath. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me to him. "It's alright, you're here now; you're safe." He said, trying to comfort me.

No I wasn't. I was never safe. Here, right now, alone in this room with Josh…he could do so many things to me and no one would ever know or care. "Is the movie over?" I asked just to change the subject; to get my mind off of my dream.

He chuckled, sensing my distress and pulled away from me. "Yea, it just ended."

"Darn it," I said weakly, trying to smile up at him.

He shook his head. "Mhm, mhm, mhm." he said disapprovingly. "Your first movie and you fall _asleep_ during it? That's absolutely _horrible_!" he said jokingly. I laughed slightly along with him.

He fell back onto the bed, closing his eyes and sighing. "Well, this house usually goes to sleep when the little ones do, so are you ready to go to sleep?"

My heart caught in my throat. What did he _mean_ by that? Surely he didn't mean…_that_, did he? My heart rate sped up along with my rattled thoughts. He opened his eyes, staring curiously at me. "You can borrow some of my clothes. Hold on a sec." he said, jumping up from the bed and making me wince, but he didn't seem to notice. He went over to the dresser on the other side of the bedroom and pulled open the first drawer. He dug through it, tossing clean pairs of short and other articles of clothing on the floor until he threw something on the bed. He then closed that drawer and opened another, doing the same exact thing. I couldn't help but smile and shake my head at him, chuckling to myself.

He pulled something out and slammed the drawer shut, making me flinch again, and stood up. "Here we go." He turned around and grabbed the other thing lying on the bed and came back over to me. He handed them to me, nodding to the closest door.

I raised my eyebrow. "You _really_ want me to go in there?" I asked.

His eyes widened and a small blush crept up his cheeks. "Just…stay there for a second, okay?" he gave me an unsure grin and dashed into the bathroom, closing the door after him. I waited for a minutes, smirking to myself as I listened to him. After about five minutes, he peeked through the door. "Close your eyes." He demanded.

I scoffed and rolled my eyes, but my heart picked up speed as I did as I was told. I heard the door open and him scurry around until I felt him next to me. "Alright, it's half-decent. You can go in there."

I rolled my eyes before opening them. I glanced at him and sighed before taking the pajamas he had given me and scrambled into his bathroom. I closed the door slowly, locked it, and leaned up against it, sliding to the floor.

I wondered if he knew how _amazing _he looked, or if I was, maybe, just maybe, falling for him—again. But I couldn't risk my first friendship for a long time for some stupid, silly little crush. _Some stupid, silly crush?_ I thought to myself. Butterflies in the stomach was a crush. Smiling like an idiot in front of him was a crush. Shivers whenever he touched me, or the way a simple smile of his can take my breath away…_that_ was _not_ a crush. That was something more. But I wasn't sure if I liked it or not. I couldn't tell him. If we began _dating_ or anything, Destiny would kill me. No joke; she would literally murder me. I didn't want him to feel like that was his fault.

I shook my head to get rid of the thoughts encircling my mind. His scent wafted up from his clothing I held in my hands, and I couldn't help but melt and bring the shirt and the sweatpants up to my nose. I sighed and stood, slipping off my vest and turtleneck and putting on Josh's shirt. It was way too big for me, but I found myself loving the image in the mirror. I was _wearing _his _shirt_. I had never done _anything_ like this before. I sighed comfortably again and put on the sweatpants he had given me as well. I hung my clothes over the shower rod, not knowing what else to do with them. I rummaged under the sink for a spare toothbrush, but I couldn't find one, and I sure as heck wasn't using his. I sighed and glanced back at the door.

I stood, looking at myself in the mirror. It was one of the first times that I actually liked what I saw there, in that _thing_ I hated so much. I never liked my appearance. Maybe it was me, or just because I really wasn't that pretty, but I was almost sure that it was the ugly and fat comments by my father and sister. I knew it was, but I just couldn't bring myself to call myself _pretty._ But there, in his clothes, I felt like I belonged, and I felt like I was remotely _good-looking_. I smiled at myself in the mirror, threw my hair up into a bun atop my head, and nervously took a hold of the doorknob.

I sighed before I opened it, not expecting what I saw. Josh was digging in his dresser again, stuffing the clothes that he had tossed out back into it and pulling out two shirts—which he did not have on. His bare back was turned towards me, and my breath caught in my throat as I watched him. I closed the door to the bathroom behind me just as he turned around.

I held a gasp in, biting my lip. He looked at me, smirking. "Wow. You look good in my shirt." He said, picking up a white t-shirt and putting it on. Once he finally put on a shirt, I was snapped back into reality. Red stained my cheeks as I averted my eyes. His dark skin and a simple white t-shirt were not compatible. Very much to my surprise, he put on another shirt over the white one.

"You can have the bed. I can sleep on the floor." He said as he reached for a pillow. "Unless you want me with you?" he glanced up hopefully.

My blush deepened, but I shook my head, climbing into the bed. Josh opened the other door and pulled out two blankets, laying one on the floor by the door and dropping the pillow onto it. He went over and shut the lights off, making me go on high alert. He sighed, slipping under the covers. "Well, goodnight, Danny." He said sleepily.

"Night." I agreed, staring at him as I did the same. I stared at his form, my chest swelling in an unknown feeling. I closed my eyes, bring his covers up closer to my chin and breathing in his scent.

"Joshywa?" a small, shaky voice asked as the door creaked open minutes later.

"Yes, picnic?" Josh answered lowly, probably thinking I was sleeping.

Little feet scampered in and I could hear her lying next to Josh under the covers. "Why you ain't in your bed?" Hanna asked in her childish voice.

"Well, sweetie, someone else is sleepin' in it."

"Is it a _girl_?" she asked excitedly.

Josh chuckled. "Yea," he replied.

"What's her name? Is she your girlyfriend?"

"I…I guess you could say that. Her name is Danny."

"Hi, Danny!" Hanna said louder. I couldn't help but smile and bring the covers up over my mouth to hide it.

Josh quickly shssed her. "Baby, she's sleeping."

"Oh… sorry, Danny!" I bit back laughter, but I couldn't help another smile.

Josh chuckled. "Picnic, why are you here? Shouldn't you be sleeping?"

"I twied, but dere are monters under my bed! I twear!"

"Why didn't you go to Mommy's room?"

"She can't scare dem away, but I know you can."

"Okay, well, I think the monsters are tired, so they'll be there in the morning. They won't expect me then."

"Oh, no, they're not monsters, they're wolves."

There was silence for a moment. "Now, picnic, why would you think that?"

"Because dere wolves!" she insisted.

Josh sighed. "Well, I'll get 'em tomorrow, okay?"

"Bu-but I don't wanna go back!" she whined.

"It's alright, picnic, you can stay here with me. But you have to go night night or I'll send you back. Understand?"

"Otay…"

A few minutes passed before she spoke again. "Joshywa?"

He groaned. "What now, Hanna?"

"Can you sing to me? Pwease?"

"Picnic, Danny's sleeping. I don't wanna wake her up."

"But if you don't sing ta me, I'll have nightmares!"

He sighed. "What do ya want me to sing?"

"I dunno."

There was silence as Josh thought. "It's amazing how you can speak right to my heart," his voice was low and deep, sending a shiver through me, "Without sayin' a word, you can light up the dark.

"Try as I may, I could never explain what I hear when you don't say a thing," he continued. "The smile on your face lets me know that you need me. There's a truth in your eyes sayin' you'll never leave me. A touch of your hand says you'll catch me if ever I fall. You say it best…when you say nothin' at all."

He paused, breathing slowly. "Keep gowin'!" Hanna pressed.

He took a deep breath and continued. "All day long I can hear people talkin' out loud but when you hold me near, you drown out the crowd. Old Mr. Webster could never define what's being said between your heart and mine.

"The smile on your face lets me know that you need me. There's a truth in your eyes sayin' you'll never leave. A touch of your hands says you'll catch me if ever I fall. You say it best… when you say nothin' at all." He dragged out the word, quietly as to not 'wake' me, but it still made me melt. I couldn't believe it. I didn't know he could sing!

""The smile on your face lets me know that you need me. There's a truth in your eyes sayin' you'll never leave. A touch of your hands says you'll catch me if ever I fall. You say it best… when you say nothin' at all." He stopped abruptly when I had a feeling the note stretched out. I peeked out from the covers and saw a small body curled up next to him, fast asleep. I heard him sigh.

_When you say nothing at all_. I had a feeling he purposely picked that song, and he picked it for a reason. I groaned mentally. Why did he have to be so smart?

I snuggled in deeper, his scent engulfing me, filling my nostrils, putting me to sleep almost immediately.

_He scowled at me, his tornado eyes darker than I had ever seen them before. "How _dare_ you spill my own food on me, and not even _try_ to apologize!" he growled, frowning until his mouth picked up into an evil smirk. _

"_Don't worry—you don't have to apologize, you'll just have to make it up to me." He said, grabbing my upper arms and prying me off the wall. I screamed again, scratching at his hands with my sharp nails. He dug his own into my skin, warning me to stop. Without thinking, I gathered saliva in my mouth and spit at him, catching him right in-between the eyes. He ground his teeth together and gripped my arm so tight that I cried out. He pulled up the collar of his shirt to wipe his face off. _

"_You are _so_ dead." He growled, slapping me hard on my cheek. I reached up instinctively to touch it and cool the hot skin, but he grabbed my hand. "Take it like a b****." I scowled at him, wanting to spit at him again, but he put my own hand over my mouth to keep me from doing it. He stepped back, pulling me by the arm and shoving me down the hallway. I tripped and caught myself on the wall, turning back to hopefully see him walking back to his seat, but he was following me with his hands in fists by his sides._

_He nodded down the hallway. "You should know where you're going, w****." My eyes widened and I shook my head, begging him not to. _

_But he didn't listen and pushed me towards his room again. I tried digging my heels into the carpet, but that didn't stop him. "Get on the bed." He demanded. _

_I shook my head, trying to back away from him. "_Now_!" he growled, scaring me half to death. Reluctantly, I climbed on my parent's bed and stared up at the ceiling through my tears. _

"_Take off your clothes." He said, digging into his bedside table. He glanced up to see me shaking my head. He pulled out a hand gun, snarling, "Now!" again. Tears spilled over as I slipped off my shirt._

"_Danny!" he said in a new voice, making me stop and stare at him. "Danny! Oh, c'mon, not again. What the heck is with you? C'mon, sweetie, please wake up. This shouldn't be happening—you shouldn't be having nightmares every time you go to sleep—this isn't normal." He sighed, exasperated. "Aw, c'mon! Please wake up! Danny, baby, please wake up."_

I gasped as soon as I opened my eyes and saw his. I sighed, covering my eyes with my hands and falling back into the pillows. I took my breaths in gasps as I tried calming my beating heart. "Danny?" Josh asked, his fingers brushing my skin. I recoiled away from him. Not just after that dream—I couldn't have anyone touching me after that. I knew he was frowning. "Do you remember what you were dreaming about?" he asked and I felt the bed shift as he sat next to me.

Tears threatened to spill over, but I squeezed my eyes shut tightly and wouldn't let them come. "No," I lied, my body and breaths shaky. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I'm _so_ sorry." A few tears spilled over and wet my skin just under my eyes.

Josh gently took away my hands from my face, making me look up at him. "You don't have _anything_ to apologize for. Nightmares are nightmares; everyone gets them. It's alright."

"No it's not!" I sobbed. "I'm sa-sa-sorry. I'm sa-sa-so sa-sorry." I apologized over and over again. I couldn't catch my breath. His hand brushed my bangs, but I turned away from him, shaking my head and trying to get control of myself.

I sniffled. "You said this wasn't normal—me having a nightmare every time I sleep? Well, it is. It's very normal. There's hardly a night when I don't have a bad dream. I know, I hate it, but there's nothing I can do about it. And I _don't_ want to talk about it." I said, sighing unsurely.

"Aright," he said, but I could tell the matter wasn't settled.

After a few moments of silence, I glanced at him over my shoulder. "Were you calling me baby?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

He chuckled, his cheeks turning red. "You heard that?" he said, embarrassed.

I scoffed, closing my eyes and smiling. "Yea, I heard that, mister what the heck is with you. Thanks for that, by the way." I rolled my eyes, turning back over to stare at him.

He laughed. "I didn't think you'd actually hear that!" he rolled his eyes and got up out of bed. "I'll go to Iya and Coffeeblue's room and get you some clothes of theirs—that alright?"

I nodded. "Yea, just don't tell anyone about me talking, alright?" I asked.

He frowned, nodding. "You can take a shower if you want." He gestured towards the bathroom, and I thought I saw a faint blush before he turned and rushed out of the room. I shook my head at him and laughed as I climbed out of the bed and made it as best I could. I picked up the pillow that was still on the floor and put it back on the bed. I folded up the blankets and put them back in the closet, then headed into the bathroom.

I was about to take a shower in _his_ bathroom, in _his_ room, in _his_ house. Destiny would _kill_ me if she found out I stayed the night in _Josh's_ room and didn't…_do_ anything. But then again, she probably would've been madder if I had done something. I took a deep breath before stripping out of my clothes and separating his clothes and mine in two different piles.

I took a shower, just the thought of using _his_ soaps made my heart stop. I got in and turned the water on to full heat, cowering in the corner until it heated up. But when I smelled his shampoo, it smelled _nothing_ like him. I furrowed my eyebrows, wondering how he got that musky woods scent. I shrugged it off, telling myself that I didn't care and washed myself, lathering in the fact that I was in _his_ shower. A part of me wanted him to come in and join me, but another—the more _sane_ part of me—wanted to keep my distance from him and study him, deeming him worthy enough to trust.

I got out and wrapped a towel around myself, peeking out the door to see if he had brought any clothes for me. Just as I opened the door and stepped out, he stepped into the room, his eyes widening at the sight of me in just a towel. I blushed deeper than I ever had. Josh averted his eyes to the ground, taking in a deep breath through his nose. "You smell good." He said, closing his eyes and taking another breath. I raised an eyebrow at him; he could smell me from all the way across the room? Okay…

"Anyways!" he said awkwardly, glancing around the room to stare at anything other than me. He scrambled over to the bed and placed a pile of clothes on it, glancing up at me and then acting as if he didn't. "I'll just, um, set 'em here, and, uh, go, uh—" he began, his eyes wandering around his room as he stood there.

I sighed, rolling my eyes, but my heart was pounding. "Get out?" I offered, but I didn't want to be rude.

Immediately his eyes glanced to me and then he closed his eyes and looked away. "Right! Uh…right, right… ok, ok, I'm going!" he nodded, and turned and scurried out the room. As soon as the door was closed, I burst out into giggles. No guy had ever acted like that around me. If any other guy had seen me in just a towel—which wouldn't happen, but they would've tried to make a move on me, or force themselves on me, even. But he _respected_ me enough _not_ to even _look_ at me.

It would definitely be a first, that's for sure. I never had a guy, no scratch that—I'd never had _anyone_ who respected me. I had been abused ever since I could remember. Physically, emotionally, verbally, and now _sexually_. No one ever thought about _my_ feelings. He was different. He was _definitely_ different.

_He is good_.

The thought from yesterday invaded my mind again, but this time I believed it. I shook my head and wrapped my hair in the towel, putting everything on as quickly as I could. I had never worn a blouse before; Destiny would throw hers away before she even _thought_ about giving them to me, but that's what Josh had brought me from Iya's closet. It was a simple purple shirt, but it came with another shirt to go over it. The top shirt was also purple, but it had black plaid running across it. I hardly ever wore skinny jeans, except that time my father made me take some of Destiny's—I shivered—but I slipped on some black ones and a pair of black flats. I felt almost…pretty…but I sure didn't feel comfortable in it. I felt like it just didn't fit my body like it would Iya's or Coffeeblue's.

Josh knocked on the door as I was drying my hair with the towel. "Can I come in?"

"Yea!" I said, parting my hair with my fingers. It wasn't brushed, and it was still wet, but it was dark. I didn't know if he had a brush, so I just left it like it was, only running my fingers through it.

The door opened and Josh stepped in with only some jeans on, his hair and chest sprinkled with water. I paused for a second and could help but stare. Man, did he have _abs._ He looked out the door like a fugitive and then shut it slowly, careful not to make a sound. He shook his head, flinging water all around his room.

"Thanks," I said sarcastically as I wiped my face with the towel, "But I just _took_ a shower."

He laughed, running his fingers through his hair, and made his way over to his dresser, pulling out another white T-shirt and a blue one. I had to pry my eyes from his bare chest and continue drying the ends of my hair. I held my breath as he slipped on the shirts. He straightened them out, glancing at me and ruffing up his hair, spraying water everywhere once again. "Why do you do that?" I said, the words slipping right out of my mouth.

He came towards me. "What? This?" he shook his head when he was only a foot away from me. I squealed, putting up the towel to shield myself from the water droplets. "It's ta dry my hair, silly. _That_ was a dumb question."

"No, you meany!" I said, peeking over my towel shield. "I was talking about you putting on two shirts all the time!"

"Really? I seriously thought you were talking about this." He shook his head again, making me scream and toss the towel over him. He laughed, sliding the towel around his neck. "The whole T-shirt under a T-shirt?" he stood there for a second, thinking. "I'm… not really sure. I guess it was just something I grew up doing."

"Okay…now will you stop spraying me with water?" I replied, glaring at him.

"Why? I think I'm almost out anyways." He shook his head again, spraying the room with water. I screamed again, putting my hands in front of my face, going towards him. I placed my hands on both of his cheeks, forcing him to stop.

"Stop!" I said, laughing as I tried shielding myself from his rain of water.

He laughed, stepping back to regain his balance. "Whoa, I'm getting' dizzy." He reached up and folded his hands over my own, but kept them there. I gasped slightly when sparks flew up my arm and into my chest. Heat burned at my fingertips along with the starting of a stubble. I stared into his eyes, my mouth parted slightly as I tried recovering my breath. But the shocks didn't stop; they just eased. My arm was tingling, but it wasn't like it had fallen asleep. It felt good, like lighting soaring through my veins. It made me feel powerful, and strong.

"You didn't shave." I whispered just to hear someone talk so I knew that this moment was for real, and that I wasn't just imagining it.

He chuckled slightly, his eyes darting back and forth as he studied my face. I felt beautiful in that moment, like there was no judgment in those eyes, only praise. Josh stepped closer, folding his arms around my waist. I took my hands from his cheek and wrapped them around his neck, standing on my tip toes. He dipped his head forward, glancing from my eyes to my lips.

It hit me when I could feel his hot breath on my face; he was going to kiss me. I wanted to kiss him; I wanted to kiss him so badly, but I was too afraid to. I was too afraid of what it would lead to. Something that I didn't want, but he did, and guys always got what they wanted. They used force and fear to drive people into doing what they want. If I didn't kiss him, then it couldn't lead to anything.

But our mouths were centimeters apart. I couldn't pull back now; he'd know something was up. I couldn't kiss him. I…just…_couldn't_. Hopefully he would understand. I closed my mouth, sighing through my nose and turning my head away from him. He sighed and kissed my temple, pulling me more to him and into a hug. "I'm not gonna hurt you, and trust me, my breath isn't _that_ bad no matter what my cousins say!"

I laughing, loving the way he lightened the mood so quickly and easily. "Sadly, I haven't heard anything yet. Should I be worried, since you know, I _guess_ you could call me your girlfriend." I tilted my head up.

He blushed slightly. "Oh… you heard that?"

"Oh, I heard that, Mr. Singer. Why did you pick _that_ song out of all of them?" I kept my arms around him, not quite wanting to let go.

He bit his lip, his eyes wandering around elsewhere. "Because I didn't know you were listening. I just thought it was…_right_, since yesterday _was_ the first time you talked to me."

"_Should_ I be talking to you right now? Since, you know, I say it best, when I say nothing at all." I loved teasing him. I loved seeing someone else blush other than me.

He pulled me closer by the waist, dipping his head to touch our foreheads together. "You do, but I like it _so_ much better when you speak." He said, dipping his voice low and making a shiver run down my spine. Luckily, he didn't say anything else, or I might have broken down. If he had said _anything_ about me saying his name, I would've died right then and there.

But he didn't. Instead, Coffeeblue decided to stick her head in the door. "Um…sorry to break your little _love_ fest, _Alpha_, but your mommy made you bweakfest." She said, her voice almost identical to Hanna's.

He whipped his head around, shooting her a glare. "_Alright_. We'll be down in a minute."

"Fine, but don't close the door!" She laughed, winking and left in the next second.

"Why'd she call you alpha?" I whispered, remembering that J was the alpha of his pack. _Josh. J._ I couldn't believe I hadn't made the connection before.

He shrugged. "It's my favorite brand of guitar." He nodded towards the corner where the desk was. I saw a black guitar in the crack between the desk and the wall. In red letters across the body of the guitar read _Alpha_.

"I didn't know you played." I replied, glaring at the guitar. I thought maybe I had actually found my wolf.

"I'll have to show you sometime." He smirked.

My eyes narrowed. I couldn't help but ask. "Are you J?"


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9:

Josh furrowed his eyebrows, but his dazzling blue eyes glinted. "Who?" he asked.

I sighed, a hint of red shading my cheeks. "No one. Nevermind." I said, staring at my feet.

"Should I be worried about this J?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

I scoffed, shrugging. "You might." I said, smiling up at him.

"Should I be jealous?" he asked, smirking.

I stepped away from him, batting my eyes. "Oh, definitely." I said, playing with the hem of my shirt. I felt awkward in the blouse; like I didn't belong. I felt ugly; I didn't feel like…_myself._

"Can I ask you something?" I whispered, looking down.

"You just did." He teased.

I rolled my eyes. _"I'm serious._"

"Fine, fine!" he laughed deeply.

I shivered and it was moments before I could find my breath again. "Do I look…okay?" I whispered lowly, my voice cracking.

He didn't answer me for a while, and I looked up at him. He was gaping at me, his eyebrows raised. "_Why_ would you ask me that?" he groaned, running his hands down his face.

"What do you mean?" I muttered.

"Because if I answer the way I _want_ to, you'll get mad at me." he sighed.

I shrugged. "It doesn't matter. Never mind." I started off towards the door, but he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me to his chest.

His lips brushed my neck. "Do ya really want me to answer?" he breathed and inhaled a deep breath.

A shiver ran through me and I leaned back into him. "I don't know…" I replied, biting my lip.

"You look absolutely amazin'; you always do." He said, and I could feel his breath on my ear. He mumbled something, but I couldn't understand him.

I looked down, shaking my head. "No I don't." I said, disagreeing with him. I had never been pretty a day in my life.

Josh growled, or groaned, I wasn't sure which, and my feet left the ground as he swept me into his arms. I gasped, instinctively wrapping my arms around his neck. "You shouldn't think like that." He smirked down at me.

I shrugged. "It is how it is." I whispered.

"But you're so much more than that." He said, his eyes gleaming.

"JOSHYWA!" a small voice screamed as little footsteps sounded. Josh quickly set me down just as a little one year-old showed up in the doorway. "Bweakfist's weady! C'mon, siwy!" she grabbed his hand, pulling him out the door. He caught her around the waist and pulled her up and onto his shoulders. She smacked his head. "Go horwsy, go!" she screamed.

He nodded down the hallway, his eyes locking with mine. "You comin' Danny?"

"Only if I get to ride the horse, too." I teased, following them out the door.

He raised an eyebrow, holding out his hand and smirking. "Well, a course. I can't leave one of my girls behind, can I?"

I blushed, taking his hand hesitantly and he locked our fingers together. "Yee haw!" Hanna screamed, clapping her hands together. "Wait! I need my hat! I cawn't wide my howse wifhout my hat!" she bent down she slapped Josh's cheek over and over again until he responded. "Joshywa!"

"What?" he asked, humoring her.

"I need my haaaaat!" she whined.

He took her by the waist and set her down. "Go get it, then." He said and she took off running into one of the rooms. He glanced at me, shrugging as he smiled. "She's very demandin'." He said, chuckling.

I nodded in agreement, grinning back at him. "I got it! I got it!" Hanna screamed, running in, wavy her hat around in the air. She leapt into Josh's arms and he put her back up on his shoulders, reaching down and wrapping his hand around mine.

"Get ready; you're about to experience the Miller's in the mornin'. Brace yourself." Josh said, his eyes glinting while his mouth was pressed in a firm line.

"Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeee!" Hanna screamed. "Go! Go! Ya! Ya!"

I smiled as Josh started down the stairs, pulling me along with him. I had just slept over at someone's house; a _guy's_ house. A guy _Destiny_ had her sights on, no less. She would be so mad if she found out. He had tried to _kiss_ me, and I had rejected him. I felt so bad, but I was all so new to this. I didn't know how to date someone, or 'meet the parents'. I didn't know how to do _anything_ like that. I had never really had a boyfriend—or a guy even really interested in me. Heck, this was like one of the first times someone was holding my hand. I loved it. I loved the way his strong hands completely enveloped my own. It made me feel…almost…_safe_.

But I wasn't. I knew that. Josh could try to protect me all he wants, but he couldn't protect me at home. And home was where I was in the most danger. It was where I was most likely to be beaten or _sold_. No one could protect me there. No one cared about me enough to do anything. I could probably call Child Services, but that would involve _talking_, and telling them what _happened._ I had never told anyone about my life. Not like I could now. I could tell Josh, but I didn't want to. I didn't want to see anyone's reaction to what I lived through. Either people would overreact, or they would underreact and not care. I was scared of both of them. People don't care about me; it's a fact. People overlooked me. I was invisible.

I glanced at Josh, thinking, _Maybe that'll change._ Half of me believed it, and the other half wanted to kick that half for being so stupid. I didn't even pay attention to myself. How was I supposed to expect someone else to see me when I didn't see myself?

The kitchen quieted as soon as we entered the kitchen, all eyes trained on us. "Gwood mowrnin'!" Hanna yelled to the quiet room, banging her hat on Josh's head repeatedly. "Let me down! Let me down! I _hungwy_!" Hanna demanded. Josh set her down, placing her hat on her head and rubbing the top of his head, smiling shyly at me.

Hanna tottered up to Levi, pulling on his shirt. "Wevi?" she asked.

"What?" he snapped, his eyes narrowing at her as he poked around his plate with his fork.

Hanna didn't seem to notice his attitude. "Awfter bweakfist can we go pway?" she begged, her eyes wide as she stared up at him.

"No," he retorted, getting up and heading out the kitchen, pushing past Josh as he did.

Josh glanced back at him, chuckling and shaking his head. "Mom, do you wanna go talk to him, or should I?" he asked, returning his gaze to his mother.

She shrugged. "You're the one he's jealous of." The corner of her mouth picked up in a smile.

"Exactly what I thought, so _you_ should go." He smiled widely and innocently at her.

She rolled her eyes. "Fine, but you have ta finish cookin' breakfast for everyone."

"Alright," he nodded. He stepped towards the stove with a steaming pan on it just as his mother came out from behind the island. I lashed out to grab his hand and he looked back at me, raising an eyebrow.

"What, you wanna cook?" he asked in disbelief. I nodded eagerly; it just didn't feel right to be waited on. I wanted to cook breakfast for everyone like I did back home. It would make me feel better, thinking that I had helped them in some way. He shrugged. "Alrighty then, boss. Your call." He fell down into a chair at the table, watching me with trained eyes.

Quickly, I realized she had been making pancakes and I grabbed the spatula and checked the pancakes, flipping them over. I loved pancakes; but Father hated them, so he never let me make them for the family. I stirred the scrambled eggs around the pan and rolled over the sausages. I took a deep breath; it smelled so good. I stepped away from the stove and pulled my hair behind my back to keep it from getting in the food. Stepping back up, I slide the now finished eggs into a bowl she had had waiting on the counter and went over to place it in the middle of the table. I stared at it for a second, deeming that we needed more. I went back over and flipped the pancakes, letting them cook on that side a little more. Looking through the cabinets, I pulled out a bigger plastic measuring cup and placed it on the counter. I pulled out three eggs from the fridge and cracked them, the yolks sliding out and into the cup. I poured milk in, sprinkled shredded cheddar cheese in, and stirred it with a fork. I left the eggs there for a second and took the pancakes from the pan and onto a plate, pouring what was left of the mix onto the plate in three huge circles.

"Joshua, stop starin'. Goodness." Coffeeblue's voice split the silence, making me blush as I realized what she had said.

"Hm?" Josh said, obviously pre-occupied. "Shut up, Coffeeblue." He growled. She laughed as I poured the eggs into the pan that had already eggs in it, stirring it around with the spatula. I flipped the pancakes as soon as the batter started having bubbles popping out the top. I felt eyes baring into the back of my head as I rolled the sausages again, and then continuing with the eggs.

"Mmm…" a strange, but familiar voice hummed, "somethin' smells good. What's for breakfast?" I glanced over my shoulder, momentarily making eye contact with Josh, before I saw Kyler walking in, rubbing his eyes. I looked at Josh again before returning to the food, a blush creeping up my cheeks.

"You never told me you could cook," Josh said, leaning up against the counter.

I lowered my voice to where I could hardly hear it. "And you never told me you could sing, mister, so I guess we're even."

He chuckled deeply, smiling and glancing up at the ceiling. "Mhm… so I'm guessin' you _liked_ it, then?" he said, emphasizing the work _liked_ a little too much. He leaned in closer to me as I moved the eggs around the pan.

I blushed, glancing up at him before quickly returning my eyes back to the food. "Where are the bowls?" I whispered, poking the eggs with the spatula. He didn't answer, but instead opened a cabinet on the other side of the room and brought back a bowl for me. I slide the eggs in it, shooing him off to go put it on the table. I placed the pancakes on the same plate and turned off all the burners, making sure that the sausages were cooked through. I moved the pan to another burner that hadn't been used so it wouldn't continue cooking and grabbed a plate that Josh's mother had had set out. Luckily, everything I needed was already on the counter, or I would've been lost. I put two pancakes on the plate, spreading butter between the two and atop the one, pouring syrup on them. I made four of those; some with two pancakes, and some with only one. I put eggs and a piece of sausage on the side of each one. I turned, taking one in each hand to go set them on the table when I realized Josh was standing right beside me. I gasped, jumping back and he quickly took the plates from me.

He winked and rushed off towards the table. I sighed and closed my eyes, calming my beating heart and grabbed the remaining two plates. I set them down in front of Kyler and their father, who had shown up expectantly. He nodded in thanks, but I didn't know what to do in response. No one ever thanked me for cooking a meal. No one. In all my life, I had never been thanked for making breakfast or lunch, or dinner for my family.

I sat down in the only empty chair next to Josh and watched as his family dug into the pancakes. "Mm!" Josh's father approved, making my eyes instinctively flickering over to him. "This is good. I like this girl, Josh. She can cook, she's good with horses, and she doesn't nag. And she _doesn't nag._ Gail should definitely learn from this girl." He said, nodding at Josh with a smirk just like his son's across his face.

I smiled, blushing deeply. "I heard that, Peter!" I heard his wife scream from somewhere else in the house. He chuckled, shrugging.

"Danny," Josh asked, concerned. I locked eyes with him, raising an eyebrow in question. "You didn't make any for yourself." He noticed, frowning.

I glanced down at the empty place in front of me and shrugged. Usually I made enough for myself, but this family was just too big for me to include myself; I didn't want to make more for me. Josh swiftly stood from his chair and headed over to the counter. He reached up, pulled down a plate, and got out a fork from a drawer. I was shaking my head when he placed them in front of me, but a look in his eyes told me he wasn't taking an argument. Sitting back down, he took one of the pancakes from his plate and put it on mine.

"Eat," he demanded, pointing at the food in front of me. I sighed, glancing up at him, noting the concern in his eyes. I never got that look from anyone. But then again, I never really had someone caring for me either. I narrowed my eyes at him as he handed me the fork, closing my fingers around it.

"You take the fork; see, this thing," he waved the fork in my face, making me chuckle, "and you stick it in the food like this." He took the fork with my hand still wrapped around it and stabbed the pancake with it. "And then ya stuff it in your mouth like this." I squealed as I realized what he was going to do and pushed his hand away. He laughed, releasing my hand and letting me eat by myself.

"Iya's twwiirreedd." Peter teased, poking her head with his fork; she was lying with her face planted in the table.

She waved her hand aimlessly around her head as everyone laughed. "Shut up. I shouldn't be up this early. It's a _Saturday!"_ she complained. "Saturday is the only day that I get to sleep in." she moaned, never lifting her head from the table.

Cormac, who was sitting right beside her, put his arm around her head. "Oh, c'mon, little sis'. We're going _shoppin'_."

"I will _bite_ you." she threatened.

He only snickered deeply, but didn't remove his arm. She lifted her head momentarily and sunk her teeth into his arm. He cried out, instantly removing his arm from near her and shaking his wrist. Iya sank back onto the table. "I warned ya." she muttered.

"Ya didn't have to use your—" Cormac began, but Josh cut him off.

"Cormac," he warned, his voice was cautious like a mother scolding a child.

Cormac glanced up at him, then to me and back to his bleeding arm. "Sorry," he mumbled, even though he had to be at least a year older. He mumbled something else I couldn't hear before he stood, tugging on Iya's hair before dashing out of the kitchen.

"You buttface!" Iya shouted after him, lifting her head and glaring towards the door. "Ugh," she groaned, smoothing her hair before leaning her head into her hands. I glanced at Josh as I popped a piece of pancake in my mouth, questioning him with my eyes.

He looked over at me, but didn't acknowledge my stare.

"Omigosh, you're wearin' my shirt! Josh!" Iya groaned again, glaring at Josh. My head snapped towards Iya, stiffening and glancing down at the blouse. "You coulda _told_ me before stealin' somethin' from my room. You're _so_ lucky it looks good on her." She growled, her eyes narrowing.

Josh smiled innocently at her, shrugging. "Sorry. You were in the shower. I didn't think you'd mind." I glanced at Josh, my eyes wide. I didn't want to upset Iya. I didn't think that he wouldn't have asked her.

"No, it's fine." She mumbled, glaring at Josh. "Just _ask_ next time, please?"

Josh shrugged. "Whatever."

She stood. "If it was _anyone_ else…" she muttered, stuffing her eggs in her mouth before stomping off after Cormac.

I looked at Josh again with wide eyes, placing my hand on the table and beginning to stand. His hand wrapped around mine. "It's alright. Sit down; finish eatin'." He said calmly, shaking his head. I frowned, but sat down again, fumbling with my fork.

"Josh, did you finish that financial stuff I gave you?" His father asked as he took a bite. It was now only me, Josh, Kyler, Hanna, and his father at the table. Hanna was playing with a fork and spoon as if they were talking to each other.

"_Dad._" Josh said, glancing up at him.

He shrugged, taking about piece. "Well, did you?" he pressed.

"_Yes_," he sighed. "We've stayed in budget this month. But Iya's about to go shoppin', so she might blow it."

Peter scoffed, covering his mouth as he laughed. "Probably. _Try_ to keep her _under_ two hundred, okay?"

"Alrighty, boss." Josh said, getting up abruptly and taking his plate to the sink. I got up after him, stuffing my mouth with the last of my pancake. Josh stepped back as I stepped up to the sink, turning it on and reaching for the sponge.

Josh made a grab for my hand. "Ah, ah, ah, ah," he scolded, shaking his head and turning off the water. I glanced up at him, finding our noses centimeters apart, and furrowed my eyebrows at him. He glanced down at my mouth, parted slightly and in the shape of an o. His jaw clenched, but he returned his gaze to my eyes. "You're not washin' the dishes." He stated, frowning and cocking his head.

I swallowed harshly, dropping the plate into the sink and biting my lip. He closed his eyes and sighed. "You ready to go _shoppin'_?" he teased, his eyes opening as he smirked. I frowned, huffing in defeat. I reluctantly nodded, glancing up at his through my lashes. He suddenly pushed off of the counter, pulling me along with him as he left the kitchen.

"Coffeeblue! Cormac! Iya!" He called, irritated. "Are you guys through fightin' so we can _go_?"

"We're comin'! We're comin'! Gosh, stop naggin'." Iya called back as she bounded down the stairs. I felt my jaw clench and my heart plummet as I looked her over. She looked so much better than I did. She had on a white dress that looked as though someone had splattered neon paint all over it and tied a pink bow around the waist. She had on a pink long sleeved sweater the dropped down past her waist while the dress went down a little past her knee. She had French braided her hair from the left side to end on her right shoulder. Gosh, she looked so much better than I did.

"I'm reeaaadddyy!" Coffeeblue sang as she literally slid down the stairs on the railing, landing right next to Iya. She wore white skinny jeans with black furry boots. A short sleeved wool black and white sweater fell from her shoulders over a gray undershirt.

A whistle sounded through the house and I glanced over to see Cormac staring at Coffeeblue with a joking smirk on his face. He went over to Coffeeblue, holding out his arm. "Well, _hello_ there." He flirted jokingly.

Coffeeblue took his arm, rolling her eyes. "You're _so_ lucky I don't have a boyfriend, or he'd be super jealous."

He raised an eyebrow. "As well he should be." He laughed. He looked good too. He had on black pants with black converses on his feet and a buttoned up plaid blue and black shirt with a skinny black tie hanging from his neck.

Josh rolled his eyes. "You know, I'd think you'd get tired of wearin' a tie every week." He retorted.

Cormac looked at him with a fake shocked expression. "Well, I've got to look like I can _actually_ be Coffeeblue's boyfriend."

"Why do you _always_ have to act like my boyfriend whenever we go out to the mall or something?" Coffeeblue asked, frowning at him.

He smirked with a protective glint in his eye. "Because then no guy will try ta hit on ya then." He replied, chuckling as she smacked his chest.

"And _that's_ why I got no boyfriend." She said, glaring at him.

He shrugged, smiling. "Guilty as charged." He confessed.

"Alright! Let's _go_." Josh urged.

"Oh! Can I drive?!" Iya asked with an excited smile.

"Josh?!" Gail called, suddenly coming down the stairs.

"Yes, Mom?" He asked, sighing.

She gave him the famous mother look. "I have to take the SUV today; I've got to get some stuff for the horses, so you guys'll have ta take the pick-up or the Prius."

"You are _NOT_ driving my car!" Coffeeblue said, pointing at Iya.

She frowned, her eyes wide. "Bu—" she began.

"No!" Coffeeblue interrupted, her eyes narrowing

"Coffeeblue will drive!" Josh said, nodding at his mother and taking my hand. Gail raised her eyebrow, but didn't say anything as we strolled back to the kitchen.

Josh went over to the door and opened it, ushering everyone out. Why he was so eager to go, I had no idea. "Alright, alright!" Cormac glared down Josh as he _escorted_ Coffeeblue out of the house. Iya shrugged, frowning as she followed the twins.

He rolled his eyes, but held out his hand. "Ya ready?" he asked, smirking.

"Of course," I whispered, looking up at him through my lashes and taking his hand. He closed the door after us.

His arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me to him so our steps were matching. He leaned in, his lips brushing my ear, making me shiver. "I don't think there's going to be enough…_room_…in the car." I could feel him smirk.

I froze, turning towards him, my eyes wide. "_What_?" I whispered furiously.

He chuckled darkly, a shiver running down my spine. My mind was telling me to run away, but something in my chest was telling me to stay. A red flag waved around; he could be dangerous. He could be _very_ dangerous. But I kinda like that dangerous, mysterious side of him. "Baby, you're gonna have ta sit in my lap." There was a daring glint in his eyes.

I wasn't sure if the shudder was because of his pet name, or what he had actually said. "N-no, I-I ca-can't do th-at." I said, shaking my head.

He brushed my bangs out of my face. "It's alright. I won't hurt you, I promise." He lowered his voice. "I don't care what they say; I'm really not that mean." The corner of his lips pulled up.

I blushed, glancing down. "Alright, but no _flirting_, understand?" I smiled up at him.

"Hm… I give no promises." He replied, his fingers playing with my shirt.

I narrowed my eyes. "Joshua!" I scolded.

"Just kidding! C'mon." he laughed, pulling me towards the car. He opened the door and got in first. I glanced up at Cormac across the seat, noticing there was one of those pull down cup holders in the middle. Josh opened his arms, gesturing for me. He didn't want me to sit by Cormac; I knew it. But Cormac was his cousin. Sure, he was a flirt, and I didn't quite trust him, but that didn't mean I expected him to hurt me. I rolled my eyes, scoffing as I slid into Josh's lap. Josh pulled the seat belt over us, making my back press into his chest. His arms slid around my waist and he rested his head on my shoulders. Even sitting, he was still taller than me.

My heart hammered in my chest as I realized the position I was in. Gosh, this was awkward and amazing at the same time. Iya turned in her seat to look at me. "Pay no attention to the loud music and screaming. This is the only place Coffeeblue and I can actually sing." I smiled at her, turning my head towards Josh.

My lips were right at his ear, and I swear I felt a shiver. "You gonna sing too?" I teased; my voice was so low that I couldn't hear it.

He laughed deeply, the sound coming straight from his chest. "Only if you want me to, darling." He joked back, stealing a kiss on my cheek. I blushed, glancing from him to my feet. The car rumbled to life, a country song blasting from the speakers. Iya and Coffeeblue immediately started singing along at the top of their lungs. Cormac soon joined along, singing only the guy songs. Josh was singing them quietly in my ear, making me melt right into his chest. I loved the sound of his voice rumbling in his chest, singing so only I could hear. I bit my lip and blinked a couple of times. I didn't know why I was reacting so strongly to him or why I was feeling a pull in my chest towards him. But I knew I couldn't let him see it. It would only make his flirting ten times worse. I just wasn't quite ready for that yet.

But I felt his breath on my neck, and it was sending goose bumps up and down my body. His fingers' tickling my waist was almost unbearable. _Remind me never to do this again. _I thought to myself as I clenched my jaw. I wanted to give into him, but I knew I would just chicken out and leave him disappointed. And that would not be good for me.

The nearest town was about thirty minutes away, driving on a gravel road. The government didn't recognize us, so we never got new roads or anything like that. I had never really minded the longer drive; I liked it in fact. It gave me time to think and calm down. But this time I couldn't wait to get there.

We didn't have a mall anywhere near Sunset Valley; we called it the 'hall'. It was just a hallway with stores on both sides. The two biggest stores were on the sides, and there was a small movie theater sharing the same parking lot. The closest mall would have to be about an hour or more away; in another state.

I sighed and closed my eyes, leaning against Josh's neck. I felt him stiffen before relaxing. I could see that arrogant smirk of his. Faintly, I could hear the beat of his heart and the sound of his breathing. I tilted my head so my bangs covered my eyes. Hesitantly, I fumbled around my waist in search of his hand before entwining our fingers together. I hid my smile with my hair and breathed in his scent. _Wait, wasn't I supposed to be—_my mind blanked as his lips brushed my forehead.

The rest of the ride went fast, with his thumb drawing circles on my hand. I didn't realize when the car stopped, but that was normal. But I did realize when Iya and Coffeeblue stopped singing. I peeked out through my hair to see the sign. I sighed, pressing my face further into Josh's neck and tightening my grip on his fingers. I felt the seat belt slid off of us, but I still didn't move. "Mm…" Josh hummed. "Danny, you better get up." He warned.

I groaned "Or what?" I mumbled lowly.

"Danny," he threatened.

I grunted, shutting my eyes tightly. Suddenly, his fingers brushed my waist, sending shocks up my body. What was he doing? His fingers kept going around my waist like that; making me giggle with the feeling he was sending though my form. I pushed at his hands, but he kept coming back. Finally, I screamed, sitting up and glaring at him. He smirked, shrugging. "Hey, it's fair to say I warned you."

"What were you _doing_?" I asked, glancing around to see the other three were leaning on the car, talking.

He raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? I was ticklin' ya, _duh_." He said, his eyes telling me that everyone should know that.

I blushed, feeling stupid. "What's that?"

He mouth dropped open before he smiled. "This, of course." He lashed out with his hands, his fingers dancing around my waist. I screamed again, jumping out of the car to get away from him. He laughed, jumping out after me and shutting the door. "How come ya don't know what ticklin' is?" he asked seriously, his eyebrow raising in question.

I shrugged as his cousins came back over, saying nothing more on the matter. "Are you _lovebirds_ finally ready?" Cormac teased, raising a corner of his lips in a smile.

Josh's hand found mine instantly. "Don't hate, man." He joked.

Cormac held his hands up in defeat. "Whoa, calm down, buddy." He winked, laughing.

While they were play fighting, I was staring at the building. I hadn't been here since I was little, believe it or not. My father never liked bringing me out in public, and I was often left alone when I was around six or seven, while he always brought Destiny with him. She was pretty, and I wasn't.

When Josh began pulling me along after him, squeezing my hand, I was brought back to my original thoughts. I had never been _tickled_ before. My parents never touched me except for punishment, so I had never known any _affection_ from them. "Hm…Where do ya wanna go first?" Josh's voice snapped me back to reality, making me redden. I shrugged. Of course they didn't know that there were absolutely _no_ dress shops here. But they sure were lucky that the two biggest shops were clothes.

"Uh…this is a mall?" Iya muttered, glancing around. A new candy store had been put in at the corner. I scoffed, rolling my eyes and tugged Josh to the fountain in the middle. I pointed to the better of the two stores at the end.

"What, is that like the best store here?" he asked, furrowing his brows, his lips shaped in an oval. His eyes were bright as he stared at the stores; I could practically see the gears working in that head of his.

"Well, what're ya waitin' for?!" Coffeeblue squealed, taking Cormac's arm and dragging him down the hall. Iya scurried after them, gesturing for us to follow.

I glanced over to see Josh playing with a coin. "Did ya wanna make a wish?" he asked, his eyes flickering to me.

"What about you?" I asked, holding out my hand.

He placed the nickel in my hands, folding my fingers over it. "I've already got mine."

I stared at him for a second before turning to the fountain and closing my eyes. _I wish that he would take me away from my family._ I thought before tossing it in. It splashed near the center, making me smile. I had never done anything like that before.

"You gonna tell me what ya wished for?" he asked, starting after the three.

I made a zipping motion on my mouth, shaking my head. "Nope. It's a secret." I teased, biting my lip as I smiled at him.

He laughed, his lips slowly forming a grin. "You can't even give me a hint?"

I shook my head. "No! Then it wouldn't come true!"

"Aw, c'mon, you know that's not true!" he pressed, his eyes gleaming. I shut my mouth and shook my head.

"Josh! Josh!" Iya screamed at us from down the hallway. "C'mon!"

I looked at Josh to find a slight blush covering his cheeks as he ran his hand down his face and through his hair. "Gosh, can they get any more embarrassing?" he muttered.

"Trust me, they could." I replied, chuckling as he looked at me with wide eyes.

"Don't give me those images." He moaned, sighing. His steps sped up unexpectedly and I hurried after him as he tugged me along.

Iya grabbed my arm immediately when we caught up to her, making me flinch slightly. "There's some really cute dresses! Over here! C'mon!" She whined, towing me along and right out of Josh's hand. She hauled me over to a corner of the store, where Coffeeblue was digging through the racks, and a dress already on her arm. Cormac perked up when he saw Josh come around behind me.

Coffeeblue glanced at me, throwing the dress over to me. "Here. Go try this on." Somehow I caught it, wincing before I stared at her. "Well? Go. Now." She said, her voice suddenly serious. Without a second thought, I scuttled off into the dressing room. I hung up the dress, staring at it.

It was cute, I'll give her that. It was a cream colored white, the top half blank, and the bottom ruffled with gold at the end of the ruffles. It had a golden belt tied in a bow at the hip, the ribbons flowing to mid-thigh. I vaguely noticed that it had cap sleeves and looked as though it went down to the knees. Sighing, I took off my shirt, telling myself that I didn't need to take off my jeans. I slipped the dress over my head, feeling the silky fabric underneath my fingers. Straightening the dress, I looked at myself in the mirror, frowning. It was beautiful, but it wasn't me. It had a square neckline the reached down a little too low for my liking.

I groaned at myself before opening the door, peeking out. Josh's eyes were wide as he looked at me. "Hey," I said shyly, coming out a bit more to show off the dress.

"Hey," he replied, his eyes beaming as he smiled. "You look great."

"I don't like it," I whispered, blushing and glancing down at it and ignoring his compliment. I wasn't normally _allowed_ an opinion. No one cared about _me_, why care about my opinion?

He laughed. "Good, cuz I think Iya was getting jealous. She likes that one."

I glanced up at him and smiled. "Good! I'll go change!" I said, excited that I had a reason to get out of the dress.

He chuckled again as I rushed back into the dressing room. "Alright. I'll go see if Coffeeblue or Iya's got anything else for ya."

I bit my lip as I shut the door, watching as Josh left. I felt bad for saying I didn't like the dress. I was grateful, but it was just too much and too loud for me. But then again, I didn't think anything looked good on me. I slipped out of the dress, feeling the silky fabric run across my fingers. Just as I hung it back up on its hanger, another dress was thrown over the door. I gasped in fright and then rolled my eyes at myself. I pulled it down, studying it. It was bright yellow, but not quite neon. It had a U shaped neckline, dotted with sparkles. A simple black belt wrapped around the waist, and much like the other one, it was bunched up at the bottom. I chewed on my lip as I stared at it, frowning. I slipped it on, noticing again that it reached down to my knees.

"Well?" I sucked in a breath when Josh's voice called from the other side of the door. I sighed as I opened the door, the lock clicking. I stood there, staring at Josh's shoes, feeling heat reaching up into my cheeks.

But it was Iya's voice that rang out instead of Josh's. "Oh, no! That's way too bright for you!"

"Iya!" He scolded, frowning at her.

"What?" she said, shrugging. "It's just _not_. It's way too loud for her personality. I'm just being honest."

He rolled his eyes, but Coffeeblue interrupted what he was about to say. "I got it! I think I got the perfect one for Danny. Oh, and I got one for me too." She said, entering the dressing room holding up two dresses for us to see. One was a pink; the top was a hot pink with a black lace around the top. There was one stripe of pink underneath the lace. The bottom was the same pink with a black checkered lace covering it. It was a spaghetti strap, but she didn't seem to mind. She held up the pink one, shaking it. "This one's for me. With a little black sweater over it, it would be _so_ cute!"

She glanced up at me and handed me the other one. "And this one's for you. I think it would look really good on you." It took it hesitantly, running my thumb over the cotton fabric. It was black and looked as though it had a sweater over it. It was plain black, bunching up at the waist with a red belt and a rose on the hip.

I nodded, smiling at her before going back into the dressing room. "Well? Try it on!" Iya squealed, talking about Coffeeblue's dress.

"Alright! Alright! Isn't it just _so cute_?!" She said and I heard the other door open.

"Omigosh, yes! That was probably, like, the fastest shopping spree ever!" I rolled my eyes as I slipped off the yellow dress and hung it back up.

Iya squealed suddenly. "That is like the perfect dress!" she said and I heard Coffeeblue laugh. I waited until I heard the other door close, telling me that Coffeeblue had changed out of her dress before putting mine on.

"Let's go see if there's some jewelry. There's got to be some that would look super cute with these dresses." Soon, I could hear their retreating footsteps.

"Those two are crazy." Josh muttered to himself as I fixed the rose on the belt, loving the spurt of color it gave. I opened the door, biting my lip and brushing my bangs behind my ear as I shyly locked eyes with him. He didn't say anything, but his eyes widened and his mouth parted open slightly. He was standing about a foot away from me, why I don't know. But I noticed when he took a step towards me. I wasn't sure if I liked the look in his eyes and I instinctively stepped back. I knew that look. And it scared me to death.

I was scared. I was terrified of him at the moment. He had the same look in his eyes that the gray wolf had before he attacked me. It was the same look that Jake had whenever he touched me. It was the look I so desperately wanted to get away from when the man forced himself on me. And now were we were in a dressing room. Alone. Josh wouldn't do that…would he?

I was hyperventilating. I knew it. I kept stepping away from him; it was the only thing I could do until my back hit the wall. My vision blurred with tears as he came forwards, placing his hands slowly on either side of my head. He leaned in until his mouth was close to mine. "Don't be scared, baby. I won't hurt you." He breathed, his nose brushing mine and sending shocks through my skin. I closed my eyes, my lips parting as I tried to slow my breathing. He stayed as he was, unmoving, waiting.

He was waiting for me. But I wasn't sure if I could catch up.


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Fear.

Usually people feared spiders, the dark, or falling. I was scared of being touched, of being taken advantage of. I was terrified of my father and Destiny. I'm not scared of what normal people are. I had always let fear rule my life. It was why I never stuck up for myself or fought back. Normal people didn't fear their friends or their crush. I was afraid of everything and anything, and I was terrified to let him kiss me.

But I wanted to. I wanted him to lean down an inch more and touch our lips together. But I was scared of what would follow. Would he stop the kiss, or keep going even if I didn't want to? Or would he let me have control?

I had no idea how to kiss someone. I had read a lot of books, but this was the real thing. It would be our first kiss when we hadn't even gone on a real date yet. But how do you learn when you never practice?

My chest was aching and my breathing never calmed. I had never had this feeling before. It hurt, but at the same time it made me feel good…an emotion that I had never really known. I hated that I loved it. I wouldn't mind feeling like this forever. And that meant being by Josh.

But I couldn't kiss him. I just couldn't. All my life fear chose the way. I couldn't just change all of a sudden. I can't. I couldn't. No, I just—I couldn't do it.

I opened my eyes to find him unmoving, his eyes closed, but his jaw tight. Strands of brown hair hung in his eyes. I could still feel his hot breath on my lips.

I found myself closing my eyes, taking a deep breath and standing on my tip toes. Our mouths crashed harder than I had expected, but nonetheless, I felt him smile as he pulled me closer by the waist. I stood there awkwardly, not knowing where to put my hands to what to do. He pulled away momentarily and took my wrists in his gently. My eyes widened as I stared up at him in shock. To my surprise, he led my fingers up towards his neck.

"Kiss me back." He breathed, his eyes flooding with emotion.

I blushed harder than I ever had. "I don't know how." I confessed, wrapping my arms around his neck.

He smiled, biting the corner of his lip slightly. "Try, baby." He replied, placing his hands on the small of my back and catching my mouth with his again.

Fear bubble up inside me as his mouth moved against mine. I was too embarrassed to do anything. What if I messed up? What if I wasn't a good kisser? What if he didn't like me anymore?

I was tired of being scared or worrying about the consequences whenever I did something. For once, I wanted to do something and not be worried later. His hands gripped my waist a little tighter and pushing me back a step at a time until my back hit the wall. I should've been scared; I should've been terrified that I was trapped between him and the wall. But his hands stayed where they were. His body pressed closer to mine, his tongue running across my bottom lip. He smiled when I did nothing. "Danny," he breathed. Imagining everything I had read in book, I parted my mouth slightly and curled my fingers in his hair, pulling slightly. He moaned as he kissed me again, exploring my mouth.

A knock suddenly sounded on the door. "Will you two lovebirds hurry up?! We need to see that dress on Danny!" Coffeeblue yelled from the other side of the dressing room.

Josh pulled away and groaned, leaning his forehead on mine. He scoffed, the corner of his lip lifting up in a smirk when he saw me trying to catch my breath. He lifted his head and pressed his lips to my forehead. "Alright, Coffeeblue!" he replied loudly, and sighed once more, burying his face into the crown of my hair.

Without warning, he pulled away, turned towards the door and slowly opened it up. Coffeeblue and Iya stood on the other side, Coffeeblue with her arms crossed, glaring at Josh and Iya giggling into the fabric in her hands. "Shut up." Josh said, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Oh my goodness." Coffeeblue breathed, her mouth parted open as her eyes scanned the length of my body.

"Wow." Iya copied her voice and stopped giggling long enough to study me.

I stepped up to Josh slowly, red painting itself across my cheeks as he wrapped his fingers around mine. "It's perfect." He said, but somehow I got the idea that he wasn't talking about the dress. Fingering the rose on my hip, my hand brushed a card. Mindlessly, I glanced down at it, seeing the price. My eyes widened and I bit my lip. I didn't want him spending money on me, but I knew there was nothing I could do or say to make him change his mind.

"Definitely." The sisters agreed, and then shot each other a glare. I stepped back, wringing my fingers from Josh's and retreated back into the dressing room, the lock clicking soundly.

"Oh! Oh! I saw the best necklace that would go great with her dress!" Iya squealed, and I could almost see her dragging Coffeeblue out of the room.

"Danny, are you alright?" Josh called from the other side of the door.

I sighed, leaning my head against the door. "I don't want you to buy this dress." I confessed and bit my lip, dreading the answer I would get.

There was a pause, and I wasn't quite sure why. "Don't you like it?" he asked, confusion dripping in his voice.

"Of course! It's beautiful! I'm not used to people buying me things. I'm not used to trying things on and people telling me that I look _good_." I said, closing my eyes tightly.

"You look amazing no matter _what_ you're in." he said, and I detected a hidden meaning in his words. He continued after I didn't answer. "Just don't worry about it, Danny. Iya and Coffeeblue will never let you live it down if you don't get that dress. It looks amazing, trust me."

"But—" I started.

He cut me off. "_Danny_." He said strictly, as if putting an end to the matter. "There's no problem with money."

"Alright." I sighed, deciding to drop it. I let my eyes scan around me, settling on the mirror. I don't know _why_ they all thought I looked good in the dress, or why they would even think about buying me it with their own money. But now that I think about it, Josh's family was obviously very well off, but his father was a rancher, and I don't think his mother worked. There was obviously his aunt and uncle, but that doesn't mean they were help paying for mortgage and everything else. There was no way they could have as much money as they obviously do. They had to have another source of income.

I shook my head, clearing my head of the stupid nonsense and took off the dress. It landed in a heap on the floor, leaving me in only jeans and his sister's undergarments. I shivered from the cold, knowing that only a thin piece of wood separated me and Josh. Quickly, I pulled on the shirts, hating the uncomfortable feelings sprouting in my stomach. I'm not sure whether the ache in my chest was good or not, whether they meant good or bad or our… 'relationship'.

I closed my eyes and shook my head furiously, ridding my head of the meaningless thoughts. I chewed my lip as I straightened my shirt, fixing the little fly-away strands of hair. I picked up the dress, hanging it up on the hanger and draping it over my arm. I left the other dresses hanging up, not feeling like putting them back. I opened the door to see a smile spread across Josh's face. He held out his hand, opening and closing it. "C'mon, let's go pay for that, and whatever else those two have decided on."

Clearing my mind of everything I was thinking, of every fear that was running across my mind, I took hold of his hand, loving it when he pulled me closer to him. I took that extra step, placing my hand on his shoulder, standing on my toes to capture his mouth. He was surprised at first, but it wasn't long before his hand rested on my hip. He pulled away before it went too far, smiling widely. "You should do that more often." He said, squeezing my hand.

I slid my other hand off his shoulder, swinging our entwined hands back and forth. "I'll keep that in mind."

His eyes glanced down to my lips. "Oh, you better." He threatened, his eyes narrowing and a grin pulling at his mouth.

I punched his chest lightly, smiling, but trying to hold it back. "Don't threaten me, Joshua!" I scolded, beginning to say something, but his lips cut me off.

When he pulled back, I kept my eyes closed as a smile crept up. "Don't make a habit of interrupting me w—" but he was already claiming my mouth as his own.

"I can't help it." He breathed after the short kiss. "I love the way your lips move as you're talking. I love the way you bit your lip without even knowing it. It makes me want to kiss you, and ya know… I just have to."

I smiled, red shading my cheeks as I studied his eyes, as the force of what he said really hit me. "_Fine_, but you can't do it every sentence I say."

His eyes were grazing my lips again. "What?" he said, his eyes snapping to mine as he realized that I had spoken.

I chuckled, shaking my head in slight disappointment. "Never mind."

He stared at me for a while, but shrugged. "Iya and Coffeeblue are probably waiting for us. Let's go before they come in here." He raised an eyebrow, smirking.

I frowned, not even realizing I was. "Fine." I said, pouting.

He smiled, leading me out of the dressing room. Immediately, Iya and Coffeeblue came running up to up, Coffeeblue holding a stone necklace. "Wouldn't this go great with her dress?!" she exclaimed, slightly jumping up and down with excitement. "Oh, and we have the perfect shoes you could wear! This is going to be so much fun!"

Iya grabbed Josh's other hand. "C'mon!" she practically screamed. "Let's go pay for everything!"

"Us?" Josh said, reluctantly following them. "More like _I_'m going to pay for everything."

She shrugged. "That's not our problem. You're the one who wanted to practice with the budget and stuff." She said, sending him an innocent smile.

His eyes narrowed. "It's my _job_. I'm gonna do it later anyways. Why not know how to do it?"

Coffeeblue glanced over her shoulder at him. "Exactly. So stop complaining, silly!"

He stuck his tongue out at her briefly, glaring. His eyes immediately softened as soon as we approached the counter. He put everything on the desk, glaring at the two sisters. "This is all for y'all. I hope you're happy."

"Nuh huh!" They protested. "Some's for Danny, too!" Iya argued.

A smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. "Yea, but I'm happy to be buying stuff for her."

Iya glared at him, sticking out her tongue. The two exchanged childish gestures for a minute before the cashier coughed, drawing Josh's attention. He glanced up at him, and then shot a glare at Iya. "Sorry. She's very immature." He said, pulling out a credit card. The boy smiled, taking it.

Iya punched him in the arm. "I'm immature?" she said, glaring at him. "You were doing it too!"

He flashed a grin at her, hardly flinching. "Maybe, but you started it."

"But you went along with it!" Coffeeblue interjected.

Josh gave her a weird look. "What? I did no such thing!"

Coffeeblue gapped at him, punching him in the arm also. "You buttface!"

Josh rubbed him arm as the cashier watched, chuckling to himself. "You're officially an adult…" he said and then muttered, "Sadly," under his breath. "You should be more responsible!"

Coffeeblue glared. "I hate you. Hey, where's Cormac?" she said, looking around and completely changing the subject.

Just then, he burst out of one of the clothes aisle, tickling her waist. She screamed, jumping away from him and then turning to give him a death glare. "Don't _DO_ that!" she growled.

He pulled her into a hug against her will. "Aw, c'mon, sis! Ya know ya love me."

She stood there, in his arms, staring off into space with a blank expression. "Get off me, Cormac." She said calmly.

Cormac rocked them side to side, while Coffeeblue still had the same expression. "_Cormac_." She warned again, her eyes narrowing dangerously. I giggled, trying to hide it while tightening my hold on Josh's hand. "Three…" Coffeeblue threatened. Cormac still didn't move. "Two…" She continued, her jaw clenching. Still, Cormac was immovable. "One…" she said, opening her mouth, her high pitched scream echoing across the mall for a split second before Cormac clamped his hand over her mouth.

"_Coffeeblue!_" He growled, his eyes narrowing in warning. She blinked innocently, staring up at him with his hand still over her mouth.

"Itwoldutwowetgo." She mumbled behind his hand.

He shook his head, confused, and removed his hand. "What?"

She placed her hand on her hip, glaring at him. "I told you to let go. You can't say I didn't warn you."

I pulled Josh down so that my mouth was level with his ear. "They act like an old married couple." I whispered, enjoying the deep chuckle that sounded from his chest.

He turned, his lips brushing mine before they were at my ear. "You shoulda seen it when Coffeeblue got her first boyfriend. Boy, was he _jealous._"

I chuckled as he pulled back, turning to the twins. "Hey, you two, do you mind if I stop your little quarreling so I could, you know, _pay_?"

Both of them shot him a look as he took the credit card form the boy, signing a receipt. "Cormac, since you seem to be very energetic today, why don't you carry the bags?"

Cormac glared at him. "I hate you. Why can't you?"

Josh smirked, holding up our hands and making me blush. "My hands are full."

"I think you only need one hand to carry groceries." Cormac said smugly.

"And you have two!" Josh replied, letting go of my hands and wrapping his around my waist.

Cormac rolled his eyes, but snatched up the bagged dresses. "You're horrible."

"Let's go eat!" Iya suggested. "That way Cormac will have to carry those longer." She said, flashing a grin his way.

"That's perfect!" Coffeeblue shrieked, patting her brother on the back, making him groan.

"Alright, ladies, where are we going?" Josh said, ignoring Cormac's silent protests as he started towards the exit.

"Let's go through every single store!" Coffeeblue grinned, her eyes gleaming with revenge.

Cormac and I both groaned; I was finally feeling his pain.

I leaned my head on my boyfriend's shoulder as soon as we sat down in the fast food restaurant that I hadn't bothered to look at the name. My feet were aching and my legs felt like they were going to fall off. I closed my eyes as he slung his arm over my shoulder. My first day shopping in almost my whole life and we had gone through every store Iya and Coffeeblue felt like. I'm surprised I'm not dead yet.

"Danny, honey, did you want anything?" he asked, pulling me closer to him. My eyes fluttered open, looking at him. I sighed, shaking my head.

His eyes narrowed. "I'm getting you a milkshake and we can share some fries, alright?" I groaned. There was no arguing with him, so I just nodded. He returned his gaze to the waitress, who, as I glanced at her, was amazingly pretty. There was a stabbing feeling in my gut as I watched Josh order. "Two chocolate milkshakes and a large plate of fries, please." He said, glancing up at her before averting his brilliant eyes back to me. I smiled as his eyes twinkled, snuggling deeper into him and closing my eyes again.

After a few minutes, Iya spoke up. "This dance is going to be so awesome!" she shrieked. "Coffeeblue, you got a date yet?" she asked.

"No. Cormac's making me go with him." I peeked to confirm that she shot a glare to her twin.

Iya groaned. "_Cormac_!" She whined. "You guys are eighteen. Coffeeblue should be allowed to date."

"No, she shouldn't. Anyways! Josh, you know Adam's planning on going, right?" Cormac said, changing the subject. The name struck a bell, but I couldn't place my finger on it.

Josh stiffened. "_What_? He's a freshman. He can't go!" he protested, his hold on me tightening. A frown twitched at my mouth, wondering who this guy was and why he pestered Josh so much.

"Well, he's going anyways. He didn't say why, but you know Adam. He's always got somethin' up his sleeve." Cormac replied, suddenly serious.

Josh growled, his chest vibrating. "This is not goin' to go well." He groaned.

"I could talk to him, if you'd like." Cormac sighed.

"Nah, Adam doesn't listen to anyone but the little voice going around in his head. He's gonna cause some serious trouble if he doesn't back off."

"He's gonna ruin our night!" Iya whined. "Jooossshhh! Ya gotta doooo somethin'!"

"Yea! Plllleeeaaassee! Ya gotta _do_ somethin'!" Coffeeblue joined in. "I was plannin' on leavin' this boso over here and actually get a date!"

"Hey!" Cormac protested.

"You're the one who insisted on going with me as my date. So shut up, boso."

"Yea! And I was gonna go with Connor! He's gonna ruin it! He's such a jerk." Iya groaned.

"Here ya go, guys." The waitress said and I heard plates being set on the table. "Wow. You two are a cute couple."

Red stained my cheeks when I realized she was talking about us. "Thanks," Josh replied, pride laced in his voice. After a few moments, when the waitress was gone, Josh nudged my shoulder. "Danny, sweetie." He said.

I moaned, turning me head so my face was buried in his shoulder. I breathed in his scent, smiling. I couldn't believe he was mine, and I couldn't believe he actually liked me. Suddenly, something cold touched above my lip, making me pull away from Josh, gasping. The whole table burst out in laughter as Josh licked his finger, gleaming at me. I glanced at the table, his chocolate milkshake open. I groaned, trying to lick it off of my lip, but the table was still laughing. Finally, Coffeeblue handed me a napkin and I wiped it off, glaring at Josh.

Josh picked up a fry, dipping it in the milkshake, chuckling. "I told you to get up." He said, smirking.

I stuck my tongue out at him, grabbing my milkshake. He laughed, taking a bite of the fry and grinning at me. I glared at him as the others laughed, and then I glared at them which only made them laugh more. I picked up a fry and threw it at Cormac, but he ducked and it hit the person behind him. I gasped as the others burst in laughter again, but luckily he didn't turn around. I turned and smacked Josh on the arm. He raised an eyebrow. "What was that for?" he asked, still laughing. I glared at him, pressing my mouth in a firm line. I picked up a fry and flung it at him swiftly. It hit him in the shoulder and fell onto his lap. He chuckled. "Pitiful," he said, lifting it and flicking it towards me.

I scooted away from him, smirking as his smile fell. He leaned over, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me back towards him. "Where do you think you're going?" he growled huskily. I pulled away slightly, grinning at him. I kicked his foot with mine, raising an eyebrow. The corner of his lip picked up in a smirk as he took a sip of his milkshake. I blushed, staring at the fries I was eating.

"Ok! Cut it out, you two! Get a room. Geez." I glanced up at Cormac, my smirk growing. All three of Josh's cousins had a fake disgusted look on their face. Cormac's eyes grew wide as I turned, catching Josh off-guard as I captured his lips. His hold on me tightened immediately, pulling me closer to him. I pulled away before it got too far, leaving Josh smirking at me.

"Nice," he said, chuckling as he turned to the three across from us.

Cormac rubbed his temples. "I think I'm gonna be sick." He muttered, closing his eyes.

"AWWW!" Iya screamed, immediately making me blush.

"Iya!" Josh scolded. "Public place? No screaming?"

"Oh, take your own advice!" Cormac groaned.

Coffeeblue leaned forward, placing her head in her hands as she stared at us. "Sooooo, when did you guys 'officially' start dating? Huh? Huh? Huh?" she badgered. What did I just get us into?

Josh raised his eyebrow at her. "Uhh… I don't know. Yesterday, I guess?" he said, but he sounded unsure. I wanted to hide my face at it got redder and redder.

Coffeeblue was literally bouncing in her seat. "Aw! When was your first kiss?!" she shrieked.

"Coffeeblue! Why do you care?" Josh asked, but his mouth was set in a forever smile.

She frowned. "Cuuuzzz. You're my wittle cousin! I get to know these things. Kyler isn't interested in girls yet, and Cormac's too interested in me to go out with anyone."

"Hey!" he protested. "I've had plenty of girlfriends!"

She turned to give him a questioning look. "Name one."

"Uh…" he began, the gears in his head turning as smoke rolled out his ears. "Daisy?" he said, giving her a hopeful smile.

"You just made that _up_." She said, smiling in victory.

"I object!"

"We're not in court, Cormac!"

"I still object!"

Coffeeblue ran her hands down her face, but ignored her twin. "So?! When was it? Was it romantic? Cute? Well?"

I looked over to see red appear on Josh's face as he ran his hand through his hair. "Coffeeblue, just leave it." he muttered. I kicked his shoe again, receiving a look from him. I smirked, biting my lip. He groaned, turning away from me and burying his head in his hands. "Don't _do_ that!" he complained. I settled with smirking and chewing contently on my fries.

"So? So? So? When was it?!" Iya squealed, mimicking her sister.

Josh instantly shot her a glare, but sighed in defeat. "Inthedressingroom." He muttered, making me blush and stare at my shake as I sipped it.

Coffeeblue leaned over, poking Josh in the shoulder repeatedly. "What was that? Hm?" she simpered, biting her lip to keep from laughing.

Josh shrugged her off, groaning. "Inthedressingroom." He mumbled again, lower.

"Jooossshhhyy." She said just to annoy him, continuing to poke his arm.

"It's Joshywa." He corrected, staying in his position. Smirking, I brought my hand below the table, running my fingers up and down his thigh. He stiffened, growling seductively. He turned to peek at me out of the corner of one eye. "I suggest you not do that in public, sweetheart." He said under his breath, his voice low and thick with emotion. When I raised my eyebrow, biting my lip, he shifted uncomfortably in his seat, scooting closer to me so that our legs were touching. "You're goin' to be the death a me." He told me, his eyes darkening slightly. A shiver ran through me at his smoky voice, and I couldn't help but lean into him more.

"Can you two at least wait until you're in private?" Cormac groaned again.

Josh grinned, locking eyes with him. "You're just jealous you haven't gotten a _girlyfriend_ yet, and you're older than me."

His eyes narrowed. "Am not. Just disgusted, that's all."

"You're _jeaaallloouuss_!" Coffeeblue teased, laughing as she elbowed him.

Cormac blushed slightly, shaking his head. "I am not jealous!"

"Only a jealous person would say that." Iya piped up, smiling evilly at him.

He shot her a dark look. "I am not! It's not my fault I haven't found her yet." I didn't know who _her_ was, but my mind went blank as Josh rested his hand on _my_ thigh. I tensed, shooting daggers at him as I took his hand and returned it to his lap.

"Now you know how I feel." He whispered. I stuck my tongue out at him, and immediately he followed suite. Gradually, he leaned down to kiss me.

"Own! Room!" Cormac protested.

"Jea-lous!" Josh replied immediately as he pulled away, making the word stretch out.

His eyes narrowed. "I don't get you two." He mumbled.

Josh slung his arm around my shoulders, leaning back in the seat contently. "You'll understand once ya find her." He said, flashing a smile my way. I rolled my eyes, wondering _who_ the heck they were talking about, but I grabbed my milkshake, taking another sip as I melted into Josh.

Cormac rolled his eyes. "I doubt it." he scoffed, shaking his head.

The other two girls snickered, but Josh smirked at them as well. "I wouldn't be talking, you two. Us guys have to fall for _someone_." He said, nudging my foot. I glanced at him, a smile playing on my lips.

Iya and Coffeeblue glanced at each other, smiling. "Yea, but we actually want a ma—boyfriend." Coffeeblue said, stuttering at Josh's glare. She grabbed her drink, sipping it while she looked around as if she hadn't said anything. I shot a glance Josh's way, but he ignored me, string at his shake as he twirled the straw around.

"Anyways…" Cormac said, referring to the sudden silence.

"How are you guys doing over here?" the waitress said, coming over, popping her hip out and smiling at us—well, at Josh and Cormac. I frowned, my chest tightening as I slid my arm through his and leaned up against him, placing my other hand on his upper arm. He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye, the corner of his mouth picking up in a huge smile.

"We're fine, thanks." Cormac said, staring at me in confusion.

The waitress faked a smile. "Alrighty then. Let me know if you need anything. Can I get you guys a refill?" she asked the girls. They both nodded and the waitress left without another word, and I relaxed.

"Little jealous there, Danny?" Cormac scoffed, leaning on the table.

Josh immediately turned towards me as red painted my cheeks. "Jealous?" he scoffed in disbelief. "Why?" he asked, his eyebrows coming together.

I blushed, beginning to turn away, but his foot wrapped around my leg, making me stay in place. The girls were staring at him, their mouths agape. Cormac laughed, running a hand through his hair, leaning back in his seat. "_Dude_, you're serious? That waitress was totally checking you out. Danny sure noticed." He said, smirking.

I blushed, burying my face in his shoulder. "She was?" he asked, his voice unsure.

"_Dude!_" Cormac said again. "You didn't even _notice_?" There was a pause before Cormac scoffed. "Wow. Man, it's only been a day, and you are _so_ whipped."

"Cormac!" All three of them said at the same time. "_Rude_." Coffeeblue stated, scoffing. "You need to apologize to Danny."

"What?! What did I do?" Cormac complained.

"You _embarrassed _her." She said, as if it was obvious.

He sighed irritably. "Fine, Danny—"

"Don't talk to her." Josh joked, his chest rumbling with a chuckle.

"Whhhhaaaattt? Oh, c'mon, that is so not fair!" Cormac groaned. Iya and Coffeeblue laughed. "I'm _tryin'_ to apologize for somethin' I didn't mean to do, and her _stupid_, _overprotective_ boyfriend won't even let me talk to her! That's. Messed. Up." He confirmed.

I lifted my head slightly to glare at him, my mouth pressed in a firm line. "See? She doesn't think I'm stupid." Josh smirked. I turned to him, scrunching up my nose. He sighed. "Well, sometimes. Stupid? Sometimes. Overprotective? Maybe a little." He said, the corner of his mouth picking up. I scoffed, gazing up at him with my eyebrow raised. He pouted. "Fine. Maybe a lot." I gave him a smug smile and nodded once.

"Looks like she's on my side." Cormac said arrogantly. Immediately, I shot him a glare. He slinked back in his seat. "Ok. Maybe not."

"You're _definitely_ still carrying all the bags." Iya said, an innocent smile playing on her lips.

He groaned, mumbling something like, "Not again…"

"Get out! Get out! Get out!" Josh shooed everyone out of the car, pulling me out. "Cormac?" he said as his cousin tried sneaking away.

He growled under his breath. "Yeess?"

"Bags?" Josh ordered, casually pointing to the back of the car. I snickered as I watched Cormac pile the bags in his arms, surprisingly making it in one trip.

"I'm impressed." I said as soon as the front door had closed.

Josh shot me a dark glare. "You little tease."

I looked up at him innocently. "Me? I'm sorry. I think you have me confused with someone else." I smiled at him, turning on my heels to go to the passenger seat. "Besides, I have no idea what you're talking about." I swung my hips as I walked, getting in the car slowly.

He leaned in the car, smirking. "You know exactly what I'm talking about."

I pretended to study my nails. "Oh, Josh? I think I left my clothes in the bathroom." I said, giving him a sly smile.

"Horr-i-ble." He said, stretching the words out into syllables. "I'll go get them and your books." He sighed, pushing off the car and starting towards the house.

As soon as he was gone, I sighed, hanging my head in my hands. Why was I acting like this? This wasn't anything like me. I'm not a flirt. I don't tease guys; that came on so suddenly, like I had no control over it at all. It was him; I knew it was. I should be disgusted at the mere thought of all this, considering what I've been through.

I jumped as he slid in the driver's seat. He eyed me wearily. "Something wrong?"

I frowned, sighing. "I feel like such a hypocrite." I mumbled, my eyes trailing off.

"Why?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowing together.

"Because," I said, playing with my nails. "A couple of days ago, I wasn't talking to you, let alone letting you kiss me. But now it's like everything's changed in just a couple minutes. I mean, I got _jealous_ when that girl started looking at you. We haven't even been… dating… for a day yet, and already I'm becoming an overbearing girlfriend. I don't even know what came over me when I… uh… touched… you, but then when you—" My voice cracked and I closed my eyes, taking a deep, shaky breath.

He reached out, brushing my hair away from my face. "Danny, it's alright. I was just playing with you. I wouldn't do something like that. Not now. Not when you aren't ready. This isn't a… normal… relationship, alright? That protectiveness? The need to be touching all the time?" he sighed. "I feel it too, a thousand times worse. It's normal, I promise."

I stared at him in disbelief. "What?" I brought my eyebrows together. "But… this isn't like me. I'm obviously _not_ the type of girl to do that. I just—I don't know. I feel _different_, and I'm not sure whether I like it or not." I confessed, letting out a breath.

The corner of his mouth picked up. "Don't worry about it, alright? Just don't get mad at me when I get all protective of you, or cross the line, and we'll be fine. Just tell me when I go too far."

I smiled, nodding as I sighed slightly in relief. "So you really mean that you're feeling all this too?" I asked, my breath catching in my throat. I wasn't used to talking about my feelings. This was all new to me. No one ever cared before.

A glint appeared in his eyes. "You have no idea."

"I have a few." I scoffed, glancing up at him.

He laughed, closing the door. "I'm sorry to say that I think it'll only get worse."

"You think?"

He shot me a look as he started the car. "I haven't done this before."

I scoffed again. Somehow I didn't believe that. "You've never dated a girl before?"

He frowned. "Yes, but none of them seem to matter now."

"I bet you said that to them too." I said before I could stop myself. I clamped my hand over my mouth as Josh stopped the car before we were even out of the driveway.

He turned in his seat, his jaw clenching. I sat on my other hand to keep it from shaking. His eyes narrowed. "No. I didn't. You're different. Tell me you don't feel a connection with us and I'll leave you alone. I'm not leaving you until you order me away. This isn't just some fling, or a week long relationship. I know it hasn't been that long since we've met, but this, _us_, is different. This is real."

I stared at him in shock. Real? He… he wasn't just… playing with me?

His face suddenly softened. "I just hope I'm not scaring you off." He said, his eyes flickering back and forth, studying my face.

Slowly, I took my hand off my mouth. "Are you going to explain why you keep saying our relationship is so different from other ones?"

He opened his mouth, and then closed it again. "I will. In time, I promise. I can't right now." He told me after a few minutes, his eyes sad.

I reached out for his hand, which he took immediately. "Alright." I said, but I frowned, glancing up at his eyes. "And you're not scaring me off, I think. But you'll have to bear with me through this; I've never done anything like this. I've never had a boyfriend or someone to really care about me. What I'm trying to say is that I'm not like other girls. I've been broken and no one's fixed me yet." I said, squeezing my eyes shut as my cheeks went hot with embarrassment.

His hand tightened on mine, and the other one clenched into a fist. "What are you talking about, Danny? What do you mean 'broken'?"

I cursed myself. Why did I let myself go that far? He can't know. No one knew about my home life, and I'd like to keep it that way. I shook my head vigorously. "Nevermind. Forget I said anything." I mumbled, staring out the window.

He didn't press, and for that I was glad. He just looked at me, knowing I was hiding something, and drove out of the driveway without saying another word. Normally, when we were silent, it was more of a comfortable silence, but this… this was just awkward silence. I watched him as he drove; the blush never left my cheeks. He was drumming his thumb silently on the wheel, staring straight ahead, his brows pulled together in thought. His mouth was pressed in a firm line before he sighed, shaking his head of the thoughts. He glanced at me momentarily. "Ya know, we haven't even been on a date yet." He said, his mouth smirking at me.

The blush just got worse. "I, um, I've never been on a date before. What would, um, be, uh… classified as a, um, date?" I whispered, mindlessly picking stray hairs off my jeans, not wanting to look up into his eyes.

He squeezed my hand, laughing. I turned to glare at him. "Don't make fun of me!" I said, pressing my lips together.

He shook his head. "I'm not. I was just wondering how I got so lucky to be with you." I blushed, but chose to ignore it. "I don't really know how to explain that, but I can show you." he said, the smirk never leaving his face.

I bit my lip. "How?" I asked, looking up at him through my lashes.

His gaze shifted to my lips. "Tomorrow. After church, of course, I can take you somewhere." His smirk turned into a smile. "By the way, did you still want to come?"

I sighed. "I do, but the more I think about it, the more I'm convinced that my father won't let me go."

He mimicked my sigh. "Well, the least we can do is try, right?"

I frowned, shrugged, but nodded half-heartedly. "I guess so." I said softly. Needing to change the subject, I quickly asked, "So where are you taking me?"

"It's a surprise!" he replied, sending me a smirk.

I pouted. "But Joshywa!" I whined, using Hanna's nickname for him.

A corner of his mouth lifted higher, but he rose up his hand from the wheel for a split second to zip his mouth shut, shaking his head as he took hold of it again. I stuck my bottom lips out, widening my eyes as I looked up at him helplessly. "Pwweease?" I had no idea how or why I was doing this. I really didn't. This wasn't me. But I kind of liked the impression I was having on him.

He shifted uncomfortably, but he shook his head. He made a disapproving sound, smiling down at me. I continued to pout, crossing my hands over my chest, refusing to talk to him. He groaned. "Not this again!" he exclaimed, making me smirk for a split second before returning to a fake frown.

Seeing the corner of my street, I froze. I didn't want him coming to my house. My father would freak out, and I'd get a worse beating then I knew was coming to me. "You can stop here!  
I said hurriedly, and I relaxed as the car slowed to a stop.

He pulled his brows together, taking the car to the side of the road. He turned in his seat, facing me. I sighed, staring at my books, but I didn't feel like leaving quite yet. "Why?" he asked. "You don't have to walk, I can take you—" he began, but I cut him off.

"I don't want you to." I said, gaping, not believing I had just said that. He frowned. "I, uh, I didn't mean it like that. I, uh, um… I've got my reasons. But it's not you, I promise."

He sighed. "Alright. So I don't get to walk you to your door. Do I still get to kiss you goodbye?" he asked, his whole face brightening up.

I turned in my seat, putting my elbow on the side table and leaning my head on my hand. "I don't know. Do you?"

"Mhm…" he said, leaning down to claim my mouth for a moment before I pulled back. He frowned. "Hey!" he protested. "I wasn't done."

I giggled, brushing my hair behind my ears. He leaned forward, but I clamped my hand over his mouth. He frowned, pulling his brows together. His tongue shot out, licking my hand. "EW!" I screamed, wiping my hand on my jeans frantically as Josh chuckled. I shot him a glare before studying my hand to see if it wasn't infected.

"Yuck," I muttered, wiping it off again. "About, um, today, during lunch… I'm, um, really sorry. I won't do it again." I murmured, tilting my head forward so that a veil of hair hid my blush.

He took my chin in his hand, turning me towards him so I would look him in the eyes. The back of his hand brushed my cheek, pulling my hair out of my face. "Why are you so hung up on that?" he breathed.

I looked down, but he took my face in his hands, making me look at him. "You growled at me." I whispered as low as I could.

He chortled. "Danny, that's what I _do_. I wasn't angry; I was messin' with ya. It's one of those, uh… not… _normal_ things. Don't take it personally, alright?"

I smiled weakly. "Alright." He returned the smile, but his was stronger, and bent back down to kiss me again. I smiled against his lips, wringing my fingers from his to wrap them around his neck. One hand rested on my arm, while the other on my knee, sending lightning strikes up my and around my body. I curled my fingers in his hair as his tongue trailed my bottom lip. I granted his entrance, opening my mouth, and he immediately took advantage. I pushed him out of the way, taking his bottom lip in my teeth, biting down.

"Ow!" he exclaimed, his breath rushing over my face as I laughed. He pulled away promptly, rubbing his lip. "What the crap was that for?" he whined.

I raised an eyebrow. "What? You can't handle a little nip?" I said, batting my eyes. A new glint showed in his eyes and I groaned, breaking the moment. "I'm sorry! This isn't like me!" I grumbled, hanging my head in my hands. After a moment I added, "I don't know why I'm acting like this."

He grabbed my wrists in one hand, pulling them away from my face. I glanced up to see him smiling widely. "You're growing more confident, Danny. It's a good thing, trust me. I know I'm lovin' it." he said, the twinkle in his eyes brightening.

I pursed my lips. "But…" I started. I wasn't confident. I knew that. I accepted that. I was very self-conscious. "Gosh! I can't believe I bit you!" I exclaimed, covering my blush with my hands.

He chuckled. "Neither can I. That's why it caught me by surprise."

I grabbed my books and clothes, groaning. "Goodness. I should go now." I said, flashing him a smile before opening the door and getting out.

"Hey!" he protested.

I turned, raising an eyebrow.

He did the same, pouting. "Goodbye?" he said, making it sound more like a question.

I rolled my eyes, leaning back in the car to connect our mouths briefly. "Goodbye, Joshywa." I said, pulling back and closing the door.

Just as I was walking away, he rolled down the window. "Danny?" I turned, smiling. "By the way, I _can_ handle a '_little nip_'." He said, smirking as he wiggled his eyebrows once. I blushed deeply, burying my face in my free hand.

What have I gotten myself into?


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

The first thing I noticed when I walked up the driveway was that my mother's car was no longer at the house. I brushed it off, figuring she was at the store or with friends. I didn't think twice about it. I probably should've.

"There you are!" my father growled as I continued up the drive. I glanced up, seeing him stand from the porch chair he had rested in, tossing the beer bottle into my mother's garden. I scowled as he marched down the steps, grabbing my arm and hauling me towards the truck. "We have an _appointment_. You don't look that great—not that you ever do, but it'll have to work."

My books fell out of my hand. Oh no. No. Not again. This wasn't going to happen. Not again. Not ever again. Not if I could help it. I screamed, catching him by surprise and pulled, trying to get away from him. He clamped a hand over my mouth. "Shut up." He growled, his dark blue eyes flashing in anger, glancing around to see if anyone had heard me. I was done putting up with this. I would not just going to turn back into some scared little girl who always obeyed 'Daddy'. So I did was only I could do. I grabbed his arm when he wasn't paying attention and bit him. Josh flashed through my mind, and I was tempted to smile, but I had to get away.

It was a childish thing to do, I know, but it would get me in less trouble than if I had done something else. "You f****** b****!" He screamed louder than necessary, his eyes blazing.

My heart caught in my throat as his face twisted in anger. I backed away from him instinctively, turning, running, deciding it was best _not_ to stick around. He yelled after me, but I didn't want to understand the words. I sprinted down the round, glancing back once in a while to find him getting in his truck. Suddenly, my foot caught a pothole in the road, sending me flying to the ground and scraping my arms as I skidded across the road. I yelped, wincing at the sting. I glanced up as headlights enfolded me.

Oh no.

I knew that car. Only one boy had that kind of truck, and it was _not_ good news for me. I looked back to see my father backing out of the driveway.

The other truck slowed to a stop in front of me. "Hmm… look what we've got here!" He said, snickering as he leered at me. His headlights enfolded his form as he approached. Boys laughed in the background. I hadn't realized how late it was; it was darkening, almost around dusk.

Oh no.

I tried getting up, tried running away, but he pushed me on my back with his foot. I grunted, glaring up at him, but I was too scared to say anything. I always was. "Oh, don't leave. We're just getting started." Jake stood over me now, and I brought my feet up and knocked him as hard as I could. He groaned, bending over in pain. I didn't waste a second; I darted into the woods by the road, hearing behind me, "Get that b****!"

_J_, I thought as I bounded through the woods, clearing obstacles in my way. _You gotta help me._ I whined.

I didn't get the answer; a scream escaped my lips as my ankle caught on a dead tree, hurling me to the ground. I ground my teeth together as I tried standing, my ankle giving out immediately, sending me stomach down back into the foliage. Rustling sounded behind me as I made another effort to stand, but suddenly a weight plastered me down. "Oh, I'm f****** you now for sure." He growled as he somehow turned me around so I was on my back.

"Jake?" a male voice called. "Dude, where the h*** are you?"

Oh, ew.

Jake glanced over his shoulder as he held my struggling form. "Over here! C'mon, hurry up! I don't want to do this alone." He turned back to me with a glint in his eyes. "It's much more fun with friends." He said so only I could hear. I shudder of disgust through me. As he went to rip my shirt, I was able to sit up slightly and throw a fist to his nose.

Caught off-guard he fell backwards, holding his already-bruised nose, blood leaking through his fingers fast. I stared at him as I attempted to crawl backwards as my ankle throbbed, tears I hadn't noticed slipped down my face. He couldn't do this. Not now. He couldn't ruin today. Not today. Please, not today. I shut my eyes tightly, continuing backwards slowly.

"You f****** b****!" he hissed and then smiled slyly. "But your dear Joshy isn't here to save you now. You're. All. Mine." He snarled.

Tears were beginning to blur my vision, so I closed my eyes again. I focused on the foliage between my fingers and the mud underneath. I focused on the pain shooting up my leg as I crawled. I focused on the thought of earlier today; the best day of my life ruined.

A crack of a branch made my eyes snap open. Jake stood, blood dripping down his nose and two of his friends soon came up behind him. "We doing this or what?" one of the asked. I knew him, but I didn't bother to recall him name.

I kept crawling backwards, faster now. I wished I could get up and flee, but I knew I would give out anyways. Just as the gang made their move towards me, I backed into something.

Calm washed through me as the corner of my mouth picked up. Heat radiated from it, and I could hear breathing as his fur brushed against my skin. A deep snarl stopped the boys in their tracks. I watched as their faces turned from eager to scared and confused. "What was that?" Jake asked, his eyes the widest. He knew very well what it was, as he had already been warned once.

_I'm getting' tired a this kid._ J growled, sliding around me and coming into the light admitted by the sunset.

"Oh s***! I'm out!" Both of the guys flanking Jake ran, soon out of sight.

_You have no idea how much I want ta kill this guy._ He growled at Jake, the fur on his back standing.

Jake stood in shock as they stared at each other. _No, don't. He might be horrible, but no one deserves that. Please don't, J, please. _ I pleaded with him, almost taking it back as soon as I said it.

_Can I bit him? Take off an arm maybe? He has _got_ ta be taught a lesson. This is the second time I've caught 'em._ He stepped around me, pulling his lips up to show even more of his teeth.

_J-just get him out of here._ I whispered, closing my eyes momentarily. J pounced, catching Jake's arm in his jaws as he held it up to protect himself. The force knocked them both to the ground. J whipped his head from side to side, ignoring Jake's screams. He eventually pushed him off, but I knew J let him. He stood and ran as fast as he could, holding his torn up arm.

J lifted his muzzle and howled after him, his breath visible as it blew through the air. _That should do it, hopefully_. He said as he turned to come to my side.

I lay down, placing my hand over my eyes to stop the tears and to shield myself from the truth of what just happened. _Are you alright? Did he do anything?_ He growled, stepping towards me.

_No_. I answered simply, studying the inside of my eyelids. _My ankle hurts. _ I whined, tired of keeping a wall up around me and my emotions all the time. _ I don't want to go home. Not yet. Not tonight. Really not ever._

_Go ta sleep. _He replied, lying down next to me, placing a paw and his head on my stomach, the rest of his body spooning mine. The cold didn't hit me until his body heat did, and I shivered. _I'm here. No one's goin' ta hurt you._

Finally, the realization of the incident hit me, and also the exhaustion. I focused on our breathing, making our breaths in unison, and soon sleep overtook me.

A low, deep growl rumbled in his throat, and the spot on my stomach where he had laid suddenly went cold. His paw stayed where it was, though. My breathing spike but I kept my eyes closed. I knew I wouldn't be able to see anything anyways. I couldn't hear, but I knew he heard something._ Is something out there?_ I whimpered, my eyes fluttering open. The only thing I could see was his radiant blue eyes staring off into the distant.

_Maybe. I think so. _He growled again, louder, the sound bouncing off trees. I froze as a different kind of cold settling over me.

A yelp answered him and he sighed irritably, plopping his head back on my stomach. _Nevermind. It's just a… a member of my pack._ He rolled his eyes, sighing again. Another, smaller wolf leapt on him, jolting him slightly, but he ignored it. Obviously a female, the lighter, golden wolf took hold of his ear, pulling. He growled, snapping his jaws at her, showing his teeth. She whimpered, her tail wagging back and forth slightly. Somehow, I knew they were exchanging a silent conversation. The other wolf glanced at me, her milky brown eyes swimming before dashing off into the woods.

I returned my gaze to J, who sighed, his ears flicking. _What was that about?_

_My mother wants me home_. He said scornfully, his eyes narrowing. _Stupid, right? I'm alpha, and yet I still get ordered around by my mother. But I told her I needed ta take ya home first._

_That was your _mother_? _ I asked, scoffing.

His laugh filled my head and he closed his eyes, shaking his head. _No! No. Can ya get up? _He asked, standing.

I frowned, sitting up. _I think I might. I probably should've iced it. It's gonna be so swollen. I'm gonna need to wrap it when I get home. _I flinched automatically at that thought, sighing.

_C'mon, I'll help ya up. _He said, coming to stand next to me. I nodded, wrapping my arm around his neck and hoisting myself up. I hissed as a sharp pain shot through my leg and I leaned heavily on J until I stood up fully. I ground my teeth together, trying to take a step forward. I stumbled, falling on J again. I groaned, standing again, forcing myself to walk and bite through the pain. Neither of us said anything, and even if he had, I probably couldn't have answered him. I was too busy grounding my teeth together and trying to keep limping forward.

He stopped at the edge of the woods, looking forwards at my house. I visibly relaxed when I realized the lights were off. _I can't go out of the woods in my wolf form. Unless ya really need me. Are you alright?_ He said, glancing up at me.

I sighed, closing my eyes. _Yes. You can go now. Thank you, by the way. For saving me from him._ I shuddered, waving at him as the corner of his mouth picked up and he disappeared into the shadows. When I was sure he was gone, I trudged forward, trying not to wince every time my foot hit the ground. I swallowed a groan as I limped up the stairs, opening the back door.

Glass shattered right next to my ear. I gasped sharply, ducking as the lights flicked on. "Where is she?!" My father yelled, stumbling forward to lean on the kitchen table, clutching a beer bottle in his hands. His eyes were clouded, narrowed and glaring at me.

"Where is she?" he growled again, flinging the bottle at me. I ducked, the drink breaking open on the closed door behind me, spraying me with the alcohol. What was he talking about? Glass shards fell on me, slicing my skin as they made their way to the floor. I flinched, shifting my weight to my good foot.

"Where the h*** is she?!" He yelled louder, taking my mother's vase from the table and throwing it at me. I jumped sideways, hissing as sharp pain flew up my leg.

His hands balled into fists at his side. "Where. Is. She?" He snarled, grounding his teeth together. He tried stepping around the table, but he tripped, grabbing the table for support. I finally raised an eyebrow, shrinking back from him. For the first time, I saw tears well in my father's eyes. He collapsed to the floor, sobbing. "She left." He cried. "She left me!" I stared at him in shock of both the fact that he was crying, and the fact that my mother had left us.

She left him.

She left me _with_ him.

I flexed my fists, tears swelling in my eyes as well. How could she? How could she leave me with him? It was one thing not being able to leave and get us out of this rat hole, but to _leave_ and not _take_ me with her? She was worse than I thought. It was then I saw the papers on the table; divorce papers. She was breaking up with him. For good this time. She was really doing it, and she didn't even bother about her daughters?

I hated her.

I hated him.

I hated this family.

A few tears escaped, but I fled up to my room slowly as to not irritate my foot, closing the door. I placed my back up against it, sliding down and bringing my knees to my chest. Tears stung my eyes, and I wasn't sure if it was because of the fact my mother was gone, or my sprained ankle. I crawled over to my closet, digging into the back to pull out a first aid kit. I groaned as I sat back, taking off my shoes and pulling up my jeans. "Oh goodness…" I muttered. It was swollen to the size of an apple around the ankle. I sighed, wincing as I began to wrap it. My eyes were already drooping as I finished, and before I knew it, sleep was enfolding me in its arms.

I was awoken by the buzzing of a cell phone. I jumped up, scared that it would wake my father, but a cry escaped my lips as I stood on my ankle. I glanced around for it, collapsing back on the floor. It rung again, making my head snap towards the sound it was right next to me. I furrowed my eyebrows at it; hadn't he taken it away from me…?

I shook my head, reaching out and answering it. "H-hello?" I said softly.

"Hey, Danny!" His voice called, making a smile spread across my face. "So, um, I know it's early and all, but, uh, have ya asked your father if you could come?"

The smile disappeared. I sighed. "No. I, uh, I can't. I think he's passed out on the floor right now, and he ain't gonna be in a good mood if I wake him up, and he'll be really mad if he wakes up and I'm not here. But I can still go with you later today." I said, brightening.

"Alright. Besides, we got the dance tomorrow, too. You _are_ comin', _right_?" he asked. "Because if ya don't, Coffeeblue and Iya will _never ever _let ya live it down."

"Hmm…" I said, smirking. "I don't know… considering no one's _asked_ me yet…" I hinted, laying down on my back and biting my lip.

"Well, lucky, lucky me!" he joked.

"But I _do_ already have the dress…" I let the sentence drag on, hanging it in the air.

There was a pause, and I could tell he was smirking. "Well, then, I guess since ya have _no one_ else to _go _with," he said, "and ya _already have_ the dress… I guess I can take ya."

"Hmm…" I pretended to think about it. "Nah. No thanks." I turned over onto my stomach, ignoring the small amount of pain.

I laughed, hearing his sarcastic intake of breath. "What?! Do I have ta beg then?"

"Oh, _please_." I said, resting my head on my hand.

"Oh, Danny, will you please, please, please, oh pplleeaaassee go ta the dance with me?"

I scrunched up my nose although I knew he couldn't see me. "Well, I guess since you _begged_… I might. I'll have to think about it."

He groaned. "Alright. I guess I'll just _have_ ta take it, or I might just have ta make up your mind for ya tonight."

A shudder went through my and my mouth flickered into a frown. I was about to answer when a groan reached my ears. I flinched, sighing irritably. "I have to go make breakfast. Pick me up around five at the end of my street?" I offered, grinding my teeth together as I stood. I was not looking forward to walking there, but if he just pulled up to my house, it would cause problems.

"Okeydokey! See ya later, Danny." He replied, his voice lowering slightly.

The corner of my mouth picked up. "Bye," I breathed, ending the call before we had the chance to go off on another conversation. I bent down to study my ankle, sighing in relief as I determined the swelling had gone down slightly. Still, it hurt to walk on it. I threw my phone on the bed, wondering why he had suddenly given it back. Slowly, I made my way down the stairs, finding my father sitting at the table with his head buried in his arms. I raised my eyebrow at him, but I brushed it off, making my way over to the stove. I usually made eggs and sausage on Sunday, but considering the mood he was in, I made sausage biscuits for all… three… of us. My jaw tightened as I flipped the fourth sausage patty, staring hard at it.

How could she leave us? Surely, you would think she'd have taken Destiny with her at least. But, no, she just got up and left.

When they were finished, I placed two biscuits and a glass of orange juice in front of him, choosing not to disturb him. I took an ice bag out of the freezer and took my biscuit, placing Destiny's on the table across from my father and heading back upstairs. I sat on my bed, sighing in relief. My father hadn't said one word. The only reason I thought he was still alive was the steady moving of his back telling me he was breathing. I glanced at my phone as I brought my foot up on the bed, setting the ice bag on it.

"Daddy?" I heard Destiny ask, her voice cracking. "Where's Mom? What—what's wrong?" She sounded innocent, like a little kid wondering why her mother left.

I had to strain to hear him answer. He sighed. "She left last night, baby, and I don't think she's coming back."

A sob broke out and I flinched, frowning. How come when she waltzes in, he comforts her, but when I walk in, he throws things at my head and blames me for everything. Silent tears slid down my cheeks and I brought my pillow up near me and lay down on it, closing my eyes.

The house was silent when I woke up again, and I remembered the beer that my father had poured on me last night was still in my hair. I sighed, wiping my eyes of the remnants of my tears and got up to take a shower. I checked my phone, something I normally wouldn't do at all. Now I finally have someone to talk to; someone to call or text whenever I wanted to. But that certain someone was busy, and hadn't texted me. Which was fine by me.

I stuck my head out of the room, glancing around for my family. Neither of them was there, and I sighed, making my way across the room. My father had to be at the bar, or searching for my mother somewhere. He might have been a horrible person, but he really loved my mother. I don't know why he hated me so much. Destiny was probably off at the mall, looking for some guy to get in bed with her.

I gasped as I glanced in the bathroom mirror. For the first time in years, my face was clear. There were no ugly black and purple bruises spotting my skin. My hair was greased with dried beer and a small cut lined my jaw near my ear. I closed the door, took off my clothes and stepped in the shower. I stayed in the shower for a long time, letting the water run over me, burning my skin with warmth.

My phone rang as soon as I stepped out of the shower. I threw a towel on quickly, dashing towards it. "Helllllllo?" I answered, dragging the word out as I plugged in the hair dryer I had stolen from the trash after Destiny threw it away when she had gotten a new one.

I grabbed a hair brush, tugging it through the knots. "Danny?" her voice cut through me like a knife.

The brush almost fell out of my hands. I gasped. My voice was suddenly gone again. "Mm hm?" I hummed, biting the inside of my cheek.

"Wow. I, uh, I didn't, um, expect you to answer. Wow." She said again, astounded. "I just, uh, wanted to call and tell you that I, uh, left, and, um, I'm not coming back any time soon. Not while your father's still there. He's getting worse and worse, and I don't know what to do about it. I knew Destiny would be fine, but I was worried about you, honey. Are you alright? Has he…um…_done_ anything?" she asked.

I stayed silent, awkwardly shifting my weight from foot to foot.

She sighed. "I knew it. I'm sorry, sweetie. I never meant for it to get this far. Everything will be fine soon. I promise. I, uh… I love you. I got to go to work. Bye. Call me… if you, uh, ever want to talk." The phone slid to the floor, and I only heard the last part from a distance.

Did I really just hear that? Did she really say that? For the first time in _years_, she finally started caring _now_. I ground my teeth together, quickly getting over the shock. She _leaves_ and suddenly she has the right to be a motherly figure in my life? No. It doesn't work like that. You don't leave your kid with their abusive father and tell them that you cared now, but you weren't going to take them away from him. I cried out in anger, turning and flinging my brush across the room. How _dare_ she? How _dare_ she?

Glancing at the clock, my anger evaporated immediately as I gasped. It was almost five o'clock. I pulled out a white turtleneck to hide my scares on my neck and dug through my closet for a pair of black skinny jeans that had long been forgotten. I pulled on some black fur boots and braided my hair to the side. I brushed on some mascara, grabbed my bag, and in a rush, I forgot my jacket.

And the fact that my ankle was searing in pain.

I finally noticed when I came down the steps to the house. I hissed, bending down to rub the pain away. Luckily, it had gone down though. I stood up, choosing to ignore it, shaking my foot to think about something else before I started down the driveway. I limped as fast as I could down the street, glancing around wearily, looking for anything out of the ordinary. My eyes connected with the ground as soon as I saw a dark navy blue Ford pick-up truck waiting at the corner. I blushed, smiling when he got out as soon as I was near.

He bowed, smirking, taking my hand in his gently, and placing a soft kiss on it. "My lady," he joked, his eyes quickly glancing up at me.

I giggled, but wiped my face clean of emotion. I bit my lip to keep from smiling as I curtsied, pretending I wore a dress. "How nice to meet you."

He stood, still holding my hand, pulling me to him and wrapping his arm around my waist. "You look…" he trailed off, letting words fill my head.

_Horrible. Terrible. Disgusting. Ugly._ I frowned, glancing down as he pulled me tighter to him.

"Wonderful." He muttered. My thoughts went blank as I tilted my head up to welcome his kiss.

I pulled away, turning from him towards the car. "Where are you taking me, Joshua?" I asked, batting my eye lashes.

A dangerous glint appeared in his eyes. He stepped forward, but I stepped back, shaking my head and smirking at him. He groaned, turning sharply and getting in the driver's side door. "I'm not telling you!"

I laughed, following him. I was glad I had picked something casual, as he wore a black sweatshirt with an old school baseball sweatshirt on with his last name and number, 12, on the back. He also had on blue jeans and black tennis shoes. I buckled myself in, leaning on the spot in the middle. "But Jooossshhh…" I begged, peeking up at him through my lashes.

"Nooo…" he said, smirking down at me. He pulled off the side of the road, driving onto my street and passing my house. I flinched, suddenly remembering last night and the new information. I frowned, pulling my sleeves down past my wrist and wrapping my arms around me.

"Hey," he said, reaching over to rub my arm in attempt to comfort me. "Somethin' wrong?"

I sighed, contemplating with myself. "My, um… last night, when I got home…" I frowned. "I found out my mom left us." I said before I could change my mind. My bottom lip quivered and tears formed in my eyes.

He sucked in a small breath. "What? Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry, Danny." He said, turning down a road that went through the woods.

I shrugged. "It's alright. She wasn't much help anyways. It's hit my father hard, that's all." I slide over towards him, wrapping my fingers around his. "So where are you taking me?"

He shot me a playful glare. "Oh, no, you're not getting' off that easily."

I pouted but laid my head on his shoulder, staring out the front window. The truck bounced over the ruff dirt road, maneuvering them easily. Suddenly he stopped, turning his head to place a kiss on my cheek. "This is where we get out and _walk_." He said, turning so his body was facing me. I did the same, leaning up as though I was going to kiss him, but at the last second, I pulled away, leaping out of the car.

"Hey!' he protested, frowning. "That wasn't very nice." He stuck out his lower lip, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

I swung my hips side to side, smirking as I caught his attention. "That's what you get for not telling me where we're going on our first date."

"It's a _surprise_," he sighed, exasperated as he turned to get out of the other side. "And you should _really_ stop that, because I _really_ don't know how long I can control myself with you over there." He said as he rounded the car's hood.

I skipped to him, taking his hand in mine. "What if I'm over here?" I asked, leaning on him while I gazed up.

He turned, taking my waist in his arms. "Then I can't." he replied, leaning down to kiss my lips. He gripped my waist, pushing me towards the hood. I gasped as he lifted me up and set me down on the car, leaning forward to deepen the kiss.

It amazed me how, just a week ago, I was just that girl in the back of the classroom that no one noticed. I had been the girl who hadn't uttered a word since the beginning of high school. I was the nerdy girl who got all A's with the trashy sister. I was the girl who had never been to a party or had a boyfriend.

Now, now I had an amazing boyfriend who I could talk to at any moment of the day. It had all changed because of him—_I_ had changed because of him. But in a good way; a very, very good way. I wrapped my arms around his neck, smiling as I curled my fingers in his hair. A growl wracked his body as his tongue explored my mouth. I pulled away slightly, smiling while still touching our lips. He smiled at the fact that he had left me breathless. "So you can take a little nip, huh?" I asked, my eyes fluttering open to meet his. They grew darker in an instant.

All of a sudden, he pulled away, smirking. "I know I can. Can you?" he asked, helping me down.

I pursed my lips, pretending to think as we started hand in hand down the pathway. "I think so, yes." I smirked, melting into him.

His eyes glinted. "Good." He snapped his teeth together. "Because I can bite."

"Ouch," I replied, "I can't believe I got involved with a _bad_ boy." I joked.

He held his chin up in pride. "I can't believe I got involved with a _goody-two shoe_." I laughed, pushing him slightly.

"Jerk." I responded, sticking my tongue out at him.

He smirked, shrugging. "We're _heeerrreee_." He sang, expanding his arm in a gesture towards an open clearing with a blanket spread in the middle in front of a small pond. Ice spotted the top of the water, and it suddenly hit me that it was cold. I shivered, smiling at the scene in front of me. My first date was a picnic.

"Amazing," I murmured as Josh stepped away from me, tugging off his sweatshirt.

He handed me it, rolling his shoulders to position his t-shirt correctly. I raised an eyebrow, but took it, shrugging it on. I inhaled his scent as I pulled it down over my body, the fact that it was at least twice my size never leaving me. "You looked cold." He said, smiling at me in his jacket.

I blushed. "What about you? Aren't you cold?" I asked.

He shook his head, his eyes gleaming. "Nah. I'm too hot ta be cold." He winked, leading me towards the blanket.

I rolled my eyes and sat down, running my hand over my braid. "Good, because I didn't want to give it back."

He sat next to me, stretching his legs out in front of him and turning towards me and chuckling. "Well, I won't argue. I have ta admit, I like seeing you in my sweatshirt."

I blushed, brushing my bangs form my face and glancing around us. "So you made lunch?" I asked, clearing my throat.

Josh smirked, leaning forward and taking a basket in his hands. "Yes. Yes I did. All by myself, if I might add." He said, pulling out dishes one by one.

"Aww!" I joked, "I'm so proud of you!" I snickered as he shot me a glare.

He stuck his tongue out at me, making me laugh at his reaction. "Hey, I'm proud of myself, so whatever. I made pasta salad, PB and Js, _and_ cookies."

I raised an eyebrow. "Cookies? You made cookies?" He smiled and nodded, making me burst out in laughter.

He frowned. "Hey! What's wrong with that?"

"I-I hope yo-you ma-make good sandwiches!" I said in between laughter.

His frown stayed and his eyes narrowed, glinting with humored. "Hanna helped me make them, so yes."

I raised an eyebrow. "I guess we'll just have to check that theory." I said as his face twisted in nervousness as I grabbed one of the sandwiches. He squirmed uncomfortably as he gazed at me. I couldn't help but laugh at him, smiling as I shook my head and bit into it. I couldn't remember a time when someone had made me food instead of the other way around. His eyes widened as he awaited my response. I laughed again, but it turned into a whimper as I moved my ankle wrong.

His eyebrows furrowed together as he frowned, forgetting about the sandwiches. "Are you alright?" he asked as I leaned forward to rub my ankle.

I nodded. "Yea. I just sprained my ankle, that's all." I said, frowning.

"Here," he said, digging in the basket and placing an ice pack on my ankle. "Soo?" he asked, gesturing towards the sandwich in my hand.

I scrunched up my nose, trying to hold in my laugh. "Oh, they're just _awful_." I joked.

His eyes narrowed and his face turned serious as he stared at me. "Its. Peanut. Butter. And. Jelly. You liar!" he joked, his face breaking out in a sudden smile.

My eyes narrowed as I bit my lip. "Are you accusing me of something?"

"Are you accusin' me of somethin'?" He mocked, rolling his eyes.

"Hey!" I protested. "I do _not_ sound like that!"

"Mhm…" he said, raising an eyebrow.

I took the bagged sandwich and threw it at him, hitting him straight in the nose. "Just eat your sandwich." I commanded, sending him a pointed look.

He saluted me. "Yes ma'am!" he said loudly and opened the bag, taking a bit of the sandwich. "Mhm!" he said. "These are amazin'. I'll have to thank Hanna for them." He said, winking at me.

I rolled my eyes, but continued to eat my sandwich. "Now, let's try these cookies," I said, reaching towards them.

He frowned, his eyes full of worry. "Uhh, can't we wait until dessert?" he suggested, pulling the tuber ware away from me.

I smirked. "Um, no." I said, pulling it back.

"But it's not healthy to eat dessert. Cookies are bad for you." he said, pulling them back towards him again.

I scrunched up my nose, huffing. "Whatever. One cookie isn't going to kill me." I said, lashing out and taking one. I stood, squealing as he got up to chase me. I screamed, laughing as I dodged him, taking a bit of the cookie, but spitting it out again. "Goodness gracious!" I said as he stopped to glare at me.

"What?" he chuckled, crossing his arms over his chest. He took a step forward, but I shot him a look, stepping back closer to the pond.

"Did you, like, forget the sugar or something?" I asked, twisting my nose in disgust.

His expression dropped. "Um…nooo." He said, but his tone made me not believe him.

I laughed, flinging the cookie over my shoulder. Faintly, I heard a splash as it landed in the lake. "Next time you bake cookies, let your Mom to help you."

His mouth parted slightly. "Did you just throw my cookie in the lake?" he said, raising an eyebrow.

I bit my lip. "Nooo," I said in the same tone.

He took another step forward, scooping me up in his arms. I screamed, kicking as I laughed. "I think you need to go get it back. I worked very hard on that cookie." He smirked, an idea glinting in his eyes.

My eyes widened as I gaped at him. "What do you mean—Ah!" I screamed as I flew through the air. Freezing cold engulfed me as the sounds of the evening stopped. Bubbles floated around me as I sunk to the bottom—five feet under. As soon as I realized I could touch the bottom, I smirked to myself. I rolled over, pushing against the sandy bottom, flailing my hands around as I broke through the top.

"Josh!" I screamed. "I can't swim!" I yelled, realizing I saw only a couple feet from the edge.

His eyes widened in horror as he crouched. "Calm down, Danny. Calm down. Just pull yourself over here and I'll help ya up."

I chuckled to myself quietly. I splashed towards him, pushing myself forward with my feet. "Josh!" I pretended to sob.

"Danny, it's alr—" I smirked as I took hold of his hand.

"Gotcha," I said, catching him off guard and off balance as I pulled. I laughed as he splashed in next to me. He emerged a second later, shaking his head and spreading water everywhere. "Oh, not this again!" I laughed, shielding myself with my hands.

"I can't believe you did that!" He joked, running his fingers through his hair.

I splashed him. "I think you can."

He shook his head again, wiping the water from his face. "Now that I think about it, yes, yes I can. Whatever happened to that quiet, shy girl I once knew, hm?" he asked, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me towards him. I screamed as he pulled me under.

His wet hair reflected light as bubbles floated around him as he laughed. I glared at him, but he pulled me closer to him, laying his lips on mine. I smiled, burying my fingers in his hair. Soon, we broke through the top of the freezing water, the cold nipping at my skin. He kissed me again before shaking his head to dry his hair. "C'mon, let's get out of here. It's freezin'." He said, taking hold of my waist and helping me out of the lake.

My teeth chattered as I shivered, and I vaguely noticed he was perfectly fine. "I—It's ca-cold." I stated, wrapping my arms around myself.

He smirked. "Shouldn'ta thrown my cookie inta the lake." He laughed as I glared at him. "I'll go get us some towels from the truck. If ya go gather some twigs and leaves, I can make us a fire." He winked as he began towards the truck.

I smiled, taking my hair out of its braid and shaking the water out of it. I glanced up, realizing that the sky was darkening more by the second. I wrung the water out of my shirt as I rummaged around for the kindling and wood. By the time he came back, I had collected a big pile near the blanket. He tossed me the two towels as he smiled, chuckling at my shivering figure. I glared at him as he crouched next to the pile, rearranging it. "If I get sick, it's your fault." I said, sticking my tongue out at him as I wrapped the towel around my shoulders.

He shook his head, chuckling again. "You threw _my_ cookie inta the lake. It was only fair that you go retrieve it. Which ya didn't. You're lucky I'm not making ya go on another rescue mission for it."

"I think it was for the better. The fish might actually enjoy it." I shot back, grinning.

He glanced up at me, gapping. "Wow. That was harsh. Well, if we find out that the lake is suddenly full of dead fish, we know why." He took out his stick lighter, clicking it so that a tiny flame flickered out. He touched the dead leaves with it, immediately catching them on fire. "There. That should do it." He leaned back on his feet, standing to come and sit next to me. He pulled me into his lap, engulfing me in his arms. His sudden warmth ran over me and I snuggled into him, sighing in content and closing my eyes.

Suddenly something occurred to me. "What if I'm not allowed to go to the dance tomorrow?" I whispered, not daring to look up at him.

He sighed, kissing my hair. "Then I'll just have to come and steal ya away. Or you could just come home with us. I'm sure Coffeeblue and Iya are gonna want ta help ya get ready anyways."

I smiled. "That doesn't sound very fun." I muttered.

He laughed. "Well, those two ain't gonna take no for an answer."

I gulped, shivering, but not from the cold. "My father's probably wondering where I am…" I said, but pressed myself deeper into him. I didn't want to go home. I didn't want to make dinner for him and force myself to realize that my mother wasn't there. I didn't want him to take all his anger out on me and then go comfort Destiny. I didn't want to, but I knew I had to.

He sighed. "Probably. I should get ya home then."

I shivered. _Home_. Not exactly what I pictured when I thought of that place.


	13. Chapter 12

_**Heeeyyyooo! **_

_**Hi gwuys! :D How ya doin? Me? Well, I feel like crap, thanks for asking! But if it weren't for this stupid cold, this might now have gotten done, so yey? I'm not really sure. I want it to go awwaaayy! Anyways, sorry for the late upload. I've been very busy lately -_- we're driving over four hours to go to a game tomorrow for basketball. You know how hard it is to write on a bus? Very. I got stuck on this chapter too :( I hate writer's block, and I have a feeling this next chapter's going to be really hard to write too. The dance is coming up! Aaahhh! Sooo, something big's going to happen in chapter 13 :3 AND you'll find out who J is in either this next one or 14 (most likely 14, though). I'm so excited! And I just can't hide it!**_

_**I'm crazy. I need to get this checked out.**_

_**Anyways, again, enjoy mis amigos!**_

Chapter 12:

"No!" I begged, sticking out my lower lip. "Please, Josh, just stop at the corner. I'll be fine, I promise!" I said, slightly jolting his arm.

He shook his head and I felt my heart drop into my stomach. "No, Danny, I'm not havin' you walk that far on a sprained ankle, and soakin' wet, I might add." He said, a small smile playing on his lips as he took the turn onto my street.

I groaned, hiding my face behind my hands. I ignored his attempt to try to make me smile, instead shaking my head. "You don't understand." I whispered as he pulled into the driveway.

"What? What don't I understand?" he asked.

I froze as he shut the car off, lifting my head to glare at him. "No." I demanded, stomping out of the car. I walked up the porch as fast as I could without irritating the injury before Josh grabbed my arm, spinning me towards him.

"I don't get it." he said, furrowing his eyebrows. "What—"

The front door suddenly flew open and another, harsher hand grabbed my arm. "What the h*** are you doing?" my father growled, glancing at Josh. "Who the f*** are you?" His hand tightened on my arm, but I made no move to try to get him off.

Josh didn't step back like I thought he would. Instead his face hardened as his jaw clenched. "I'm a friend of Danny's." he said through clenched teeth.

Fear prickled at my heart as his nails dug into my skin. "Oh, really?" he asked, unbelieving. "That didn't look very _friendly_ to me." my father said angrily, his eyes narrowing.

Josh shrugged, his hand balling into fists. "So I'm her boyfriend, alright."

I yelped as he pulled me into the house, his voice ruff as he snapped at Josh, "Well, she doesn't need a _boyfriend_ right now. She far too busy and she's already had too many boys in her pants." Both our mouths dropped open as I stared at him. "So I suggest not wasting your time." He said as he slammed the door in Josh's face.

My cheek stung as his hand connected with it. I whimpered as he pulled me into the kitchen, slamming my back against the corner wall. "Who the h*** are you w****** around with now?!" he yelled, slapping me again.

His fist connected with my stomach when I didn't answer. I kept my mouth shut in case Josh was there listening on the other side. He grabbed my chin with his enormous hand, making me look into his stormy eyes. "Did I tell you that you could have friends!" he yelled, making me flinch. "Did I _tell_ you that you could have a _boyfriend_?!"

Tears welled in my eyes as I shook my head. He pushed my shoulders further into the corner, making me grit my teeth. He scowled, pulling his arm back, his hand closing into a fist. In a split second I ducked and his punch landed in the wall behind me. He cried in pain as I fled, turning and running up the stairs.

"You b****!" he yelled and I cried in pain. He pulled me down by my sprained ankle, slamming my body against the steps.

Suddenly he stopped, laughing as I turned to glare at him. His hands tightened, making me scream. "This is sad," he chuckled, "Your first boyfriend and he's using you!" he laughed loudly to himself.

Anger flared inside me and I lifted my free leg, swinging it towards him. He gasped as my boot heel caught him in the jaw, sending him onto the floor. Gasping at what I had just done, I stood, flying up the stairs and locking myself in. I lunged for my phone on the desk, but my shaky fingers knocked it off the table. My whole body was shaking; tears were rolling down my face as I bent down to pick it up. I jumped as he began pounding on the door. "I told you never to lock this door!" he screamed. The door rattled as he threw himself into it. The lock suddenly broke and the door flew open. I grabbed my phone, holding onto it for dear life.

His face twisted into that of rage. "What the h*** are you doing with that?!" he kicked the phone out of my hands, making me yelp and jump away from him. He lashed out and grabbed my shirt, pulling me close. "You trying to call your pathetic, cheating _boyfriend_?" he said sarcastically, throwing me on the ground. His fist soon connected with my jaw. I curled up into a ball on the floor, whimpering. He screamed at me, until he suddenly stopped. I opened my eyes to find him staring at my phone, his eyes burning.

"She _called_ you?!" He snarled, throwing my phone against the wall, cracking it in two. "What did she say?" he screamed. "ANSWER ME!" he kicked my side, a cry echoing from my lips.

There was a crack as he stepped on my phone. "I forbid you to call him, _talk_ to him in any way, or see him again. You understand?" I whimpered in reply, nodding.

When he walked out of the room, I relaxed. How was I going to do that? I couldn't avoid him. I had already tried that. Josh had made that impossible. He showed up anywhere I went, whenever Jake or Destiny gave me trouble at school; I'd just have to keep it a secret.

I could do that… maybe.

Or I could just suck it up and disobey him. He'd get angry, but I could take the beating. As long as it meant I could see Josh.

Once the pain subsided, I got up, limping to the bathroom, shivering as I turned on the bath full heat. I stripped myself of the dripping clothes and got in, letting the steaming water run over my freezing body. My fingers tenderly brushed the forming bruise on my cheek, sighing. The dance was tomorrow and I was probably going to use the last of Destiny's old cover-up for school. I couldn't go. I couldn't let anyone see this. No one needed to know.

Once I was finished, I dressed in my pajamas, scooping up the wet clothes in my arms and limping down the stairs. I reached the bottom step, glancing at my father who sat on the couch, staring at the TV aimlessly with a beer in his hands. He glanced up at me, scowling. "Go make dinner. For me and my daughter," He demanded. "Don't think about eating anything, you fat, ugly b****." I flinched at his insult, nodding and continued towards the laundry room.

I sighed quietly as I stuck the clothes in the washer, running my thumb over Josh's sweatshirt. I wanted to wear it tomorrow, but my father would be pissed if he saw me in it. I groaned, slamming the washer shut and hurriedly putting the soap in and starting it. I heard the door open, and giggles sounded through the house. "Hey, Daddy!" Destiny called.

"Hey, baby," came his ruff reply.

There was shuffling of feet as I got the pot out to start spaghetti. "How are you doing?" she asked. I scoffed quietly. That was probably the first act of compassion I had ever seen from Destiny.

He grunted in reply. "Well, I found out that the little b**** has been talking to your mother on the phone."

"What?!" Destiny shrieked.

"Yes. Do you know anything about a boy with her?" he asked and I bit the inside of my cheek.

"That little s***!" she screamed. "I _knew_ she was messing around with Josh, that b******." My hands tightened on the box of spaghetti. I was fine with people insulting me; I was used to it, it was normal. But insulting Josh was a different story. He hadn't done anything. He was the sweetest guy I knew. I had half a mind to go in there and punch that pretty little face of hers, but I knew I couldn't. Destiny groaned loudly. "Whatever. I just wanna see her face when he blows her off like the pathetic thing she is. Let's go to my room, Tony." She said and I soon hear their retreating footsteps. I scowled at the boiling water. She's calling me trashy when _she's_ the one bringing the boy home for obvious reasons? What a hypocrite.

I scowled at the boiling water. I hated this family. Just a couple months more and I could get out of here, if he let me. I could go to college, get a job, marry Josh, and—I groaned, rubbing my hands over my face. When did he come into the picture? I mean he _would_ make a great husband and father… but there was no way he was that into me. Besides, how could I _marry_ someone when I could hardly handle someone touching me after what my father had done to me? There was no way I could have kids with someone after what happened. I would be too scared that he would hurt me again, that he would leave me like everyone did. People didn't care about me. It was just a fact. A fact that I couldn't overcome. People didn't like me. I was too scared, too troubled. No one wanted to deal with my problems at home and my troubled past.

Destiny was right. He was probably just playing me, but I didn't care. If he was going to mess around with me and then suddenly break up with me, I didn't care. I loved the way he made me feel, the way he kissed me. I loved the way we teased each other constantly and the way he stood up for me when no one else would, not even myself. And even if he _was_ just playing around with me and just pretended not to care, I could handle it. I would enjoy it while I could. If I was falling for him, then there was no way I could stop myself.

"Is that f****** dinner done yet?!" he roared, making me flinched. Hurriedly, I drained the pasta, scooping a spoonful in a bowl along with some sauce. I grabbed a spoon and rushed to the living room, setting the plate on the coffee table, avoiding eye contact.

He grunted, setting down his beer at the table. "Make sure Destiny gets hers." He growled.

I nodded meekly in reply, retreating into the kitchen to make a plate for Destiny. After I scooped a cup onto the plate, I poured the sauce over it and started towards her room. I knocked on the door, staring at the plate when it opened. "What the hell do you want?!" She screeched. "Can't you see I'm _busy!_" My eyes widened. I had forgotten about her playboy.

"Destiny?" A husky voice asked from someone deeper into the room.

She glanced over her shoulder, her features softening slightly. "Yea, sweetie, I'll be there in a minute." She said, fixing her bra strap—which was one of the only things besides panties that she was wearing. "Now leave us alone, b****." She snarled, pushing me backwards into the wall. Sauce splattered over me, making me grind my teeth together. Without thinking, I flung the plate at her.

She gasped as the rest of the food spilled over her face and hair. "Destiny?" That husky voice came again, but a large male figure came up behind her wearing nothing but boxers. The blood drained out of my face as so many scenarios ran through my mind, sending fear through me. I let out a squeak as the plate fell out of my hand.

"You f****** b****!" She screamed, throwing the food on the ground. I ran before she could do anything else straight up into my room and closed the door, pushing my dresser up against it. Tears squeezed through and ran down my cheeks.

A scream rose in my throat as there came a rasping on the windows. "Sshh! Danny, it's just me!" The figure said through the window in a harsh whisper. "Open the— oof! Nevermind. Got it." He said, opening the window and stepping through. He smiled, but as his eyes landed on me, it disappeared.

"What are you doing here?" I whispered so softly, I didn't know how he heard me. "Go away." I sniffled, wiping my eyes, but the tears still came. Suddenly, fists banged on the door, making jump up, straight into Josh's arms.

"Open this door!" He growled as I buried my face in Josh's chest. "I swear, if you do not open this door right now…" he trailed off and the banging stopped, but Josh still growled under his breath.

His arms tightened around me. "Danny, does he treat you bad?" he snarled into my hair.

"Sshh! Keep your voice down!" I snapped. "I'll get killed if _he_ knows you're here! Why are you here anyways?" I said, wanting to push myself away from him, but I couldn't help but melt into him.

"I didn't get to say goodbye properly." He replied, taking my chin in his fingers and lifting my head up to meet his eyes.

I shivered. "Then don't." I said, holding him closer as I shuddered.

He raised an eyebrow, but smirked. "What?" he asked, his eyes glinting.

I hugged him tightly, squeezing my eyes shut so the tears would stop. "C-can you st-stay here tonight?" I asked lowly.

I gasped as he leaned down to pick me up bridal style. "Of course." he said, frowning.

I gripped the fabric on his shoulders. "What are you doing?" I whispered as my heart spiked as he walked towards the bed.

He furrowed his eyebrows. "You seem like you've had a long day." He replied, lying me down on the comforter. I nodded meekly. He gave me a small smile. "Well, why don't you get some sleep and I'll be right back, okay?" he said, leaning down to place his lips on my forehead.

I grabbed his collar. "You better not go talk to my father, you got it? Do _not_ let him see you." My breath hitched as I gazed up at him.

His eyes widened. "Alright. I promise. Get some rest. I'll be back soon."

I frowned. "Al-alright." I mumbled, sliding under the covers as the lights flickered off. I closed my eyes, willing for sleep to take over, but I couldn't get my mind off the beating my father had given me earlier that day. I jumped as someone slide beneath the covers next to me, but soon calmed as he wrapped his arm around my waist, sending tingles through my body. I relaxed into him, sighing through my nose and falling asleep.

_Big brown eyes stared up at me, tears leaking down the baby's face. I cradled it further into my arms, shielding the baby boy from my father's harsh gaze. His fists clenched, his eyes darkening as his face reddened. "Give me the d*** baby!" he screamed, taking a step towards me. _

_I stepped back, shaking my head and holding the crying baby closer to me. "You shut that f****** thing up or you give it to me." Wrinkles covered his face and bags formed under his eyes. Again, I shook my head, pleading with him through my eyes. His hand lashed out, catching my cheek. I stumbled back, feeling something being pulled from my arms._

"_NO!" I screamed, pushing him away as I turned with the boy still wrapped in my arms._

_He cursed and suddenly I was falling, the boy flying through the air, screams echoing in my ears._

_And then it all stopped._

_The dream changed._

_The tears were now rolling down my face as I curled up in a ball, wrapping my arms around my large stomach. Sharp pains erupted all around my body, his voice yelling at me, knocking around my head until my vision blurred. "You stupid w****! You f****** b****! Leave it to a f****** w**** to get herself pregnant!"_

I gasped, my eyes shooting open. _Pregnant._ No. No. Oh, no, no. Oh, please no. That—that wasn't possible. That couldn't happen. It was one time. I didn't even want it. No. That could not happen. It wasn't possible. I began shaking and the more I thought about it, the more scared I got. "No, no, no, no. Oh, please, please, no." I whined, wrapping my arms around myself, trying to keep my breath under control, but I began hyperventilating.

I gasped as something stirred beside me in the bed. I backed away from it until there was no more bed to back onto and I landed on the floor with an _Umf!_ I groaned, momentarily forgetting about my dream, and glared as Josh's head poked out from above the bed. He smirked, raising an eyebrow. "You forget about me?" he asked, chuckling.

I frowned, sighing. "No—well, a little, but…" I trailed off, shaking my head as I stood to climb back in the bed. He moved out of my way as I curled next to him, my shaking began again as I realized our position.

He rubbed my back, pulling the comforter back over us. "Are you alright? Bad dream?" he guessed.

I nodded. "Horrible." I agreed, sighing again. What if I was pregnant? I mean, I couldn't be, right?

He pulled me into him, the safety of his arms spreading through me. "It's alright, it was just a dream. I promise." He muttered into my head.

I nodded, trying to calm down my breathing as I closed my eyes again. I listened as Josh's breath slowly evened out, matching mine to his own. Eventually, his relaxation spread and through me and I drifted off into nothingness.

The first thing I smelled was the mix of forest and rain. I imagined a misty, foggy forest from a midnight rain, but it all disappeared when I opened my eyes. I blinked to clear my vision, smiling as I caught sight of his sleeping form. His brilliant blue eyes were closed, his mouth hanging open slightly with his arm around my waist, holding me to him. I glanced at my bedside clock, deeming I had a few more minutes, and snuggled deeper into him and laying my head in the crook of his neck. He stirred, his arm tightening around me and his mouth picking up in a smile.

Something suddenly caught my eyes, and I jumped off the bed, throwing the covers back and earning a groan from the lump on the bed. "Mhm... Danny, what are you doin'? We still got a few more minutes, get back here." he grumbled, rubbing his eyes.

I ignored him, rushing to the window. "No! Look, Josh, it's snowing!" I exclaimed, blowing on the window and fogging it.

He groaned loudly. "Great..." he mumbled, running his hands down his face.

I frowned. "What? You don't like the snow?" I asked, pouting.

He sighed, sitting up and running his hand through his behead, yawning. He shrugged. "I do, but it's _so_ annoyin'." he mumbled, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. He shook his head and blinked to get the sleep out of his eyes. "Mhm... Well, I'm gonna go and I'll pick you up in about thirty minutes. That alright?" he asked, eyeing me warily as he walked to the window.

I frowned, wrapping my arms around his waist and shrugged. "Alright. At the corner of the street." I pointed out, not wanting a repeat of last night and glad that my hair was covering my cheek.

He frowned, beginning to shake his head, but I glared. "No, Josh. I'm serious. Corner of the street or I'm walking." I threatened.

"Fine." he grumbled, opening the window and letting in a mix of cold air and snow.

"Be careful!" I said as he climbed out the window.

He dropped slightly, peeking over the sill and winking. "Don't worry, babe. I'll be bak." he said in a German accent before he dropped. I giggled, rolling my eyes as I shut the window. I glanced at the dresser blocking the door and frowned, shaking my head and going to the bathroom. I moved my hair out of my face, flinching at the purple and yellow bruise planted on my cheek. I sighed, frowning at it while reaching for the empty bottle of cover-up. I brushed my hair before squeezing the last bit of it to try to cover the bruise. I used as much as I could, but there was still a slight discoloration. I groaned, sweeping my hair over my cheek, hoping no one would notice it. I swept on some mascara and scrubbed my teeth before pushing the dresser back and going downstairs to make breakfast.

Surprisingly, my father was already yelling. "You f****** w****! Every single f****** night, you're f****** another guy!" he yelled, slamming his fists on the table. "Don't you know how to have real d*** boyfriend!"

Quiet sobbing echoed from the kitchen. "I'm—I'm sorry, Daddy! I—" Destiny began, but he cut her off.

"Don't use 'but Daddy' on me. It's your f****** fault she's gone!" he screamed.

How did he get from her playboys to my mother? My heart dropped into my chest and I scurried down the stairs as fast as I could, finding my father raising his fist as Destiny cowered under him. She turned, catching my gaze. _Help_. She mouthed, her eyes wide with fear.

Without thinking, I shoved something off the counter, earning his piercing gaze. "You clumsy little b****." he growled, his eyes a mixture of sadness and anger. His hands dropped to his sides in clenched fists. He glanced from me to my sister, the fury in his eyes draining as reality came back to him. Both of us jumped as he punched the wall. "You two are useless." he growled before stomping out of the room.

I frowned after him, raising an eyebrow before picking up the stuff I had dropped. Destiny sighed in relief. "Oh, thank God. That was so scary. How do you handle that every day?" she asked, her voice shaking.

I rolled my eyes, shrugging as I got out the pan to make breakfast.

"Can I help you make breakfast?" she asked, slowly getting up from her chair.

I stared at her, waiting for men to come in, tranquilize her with huge needles and take her to an insane asylum. I blinked at her, giving her a disbelieving look. "Uhh..." she began, looking around. "Nevermind. Make me a sunny side up..." she paused. "Please." she added before returning to the table.

After I had finished making breakfast, I went into the laundry room to retrieve Josh's sweatshirt that I had placed in the dryer after he had thrown me into the lake. I rolled my eyes at the memory, folding the sweatshirt over my arm before retreating up to my room to get dressed. I had never really thought of my wardrobe before. I had never cared what people thought of me and the way I dress, but every time I looked in the mirror, all I thought of was if Josh liked what he saw. He was my _boyfriend_ now. Do you dress up to impress your boyfriend, or should he not care what you dress like? I glanced at the sweatshirt strewn over the bedspread and then at the blue and black spots covering the skin of my face and arms.

In the end I slipped on a simple white t shirt overtop a black tank top, a pair of blue jeans and some tennis shoes. I pulled my hair to hide my cheek even after I had put what little make up I had left on it. I yanked the sweatshirt on over my head. Who cared if my father sees me in it? I'd take the punishment later, but I wasn't planning on freezing my butt off in the cold. I glanced out the window, hardly surprised to see Josh's pick-up waiting at the corner of the street. I grabbed my messenger bag and started down the stairs, stopping as I saw the big burly figure standing in the doorway, gazing out into the white blanket of snow. He took a gulp of whatever was in the beer bottle he was holding and barely glanced at me as I continued down the stairs slowly.

His gaze hardened and his hand gripped the bottle in his hands. "I thought I told you to stay away from that thing." He growled, stepping back form the door slightly.

My eyes narrowed as my jaw set. That _thing_? _That thing_? I gripped my bag with such force that my knuckles turned white as I glared at him furiously. He hardly gave me a second look. "I want you to go out there and tell him to f*** off. Tell him he's not welcome here or anywhere that's with the likes of _you_." he said, disgust dripping in his deep voice.

_I could tell you the same thing._

He inclined his head towards the door. "I suggest you go. _Now_." He scowled. I gave him the sharpest look I could before striding towards him. His cloudy blue eyes watched my every movement as I kept past him, locking our gaze, never failing until I opened the door and stepped out into the white abyss. I flinched as glass shattered on the porch post near me. I stopped briefly before I continued down the stairs, focusing on the satisfying crunch of snow under my feet.

I walked at a steady pace, smirking to myself as I felt my father's sharp gaze piece me from behind. Up ahead, Josh was now leaning against the side of his truck, his head tilted downwards, a smile playing on his lips. Bits of his dark hair poked out from under a baseball cap, brushing his beautiful eyes. A light blue t-shirt suspended from his shoulders, matching the cap he wore. His faded blue jeans hug dangerous low on his hips, ending in a black and white pair of Nike's. His muscular arms were crossed over his chest, but came undone as I approached. I glanced once over my shoulder, pleased to see my father standing on the porch, eyeing me. I sneered at him, turned back to Josh and closing the distance between us.

I went up to him, immediately wrapping my arms around his neck. I stood on my tip toes, crushing our lips together with a little more force than needed. I felt him smile as he enclosed his arms around my waist, pulling me closer to him. I tightened my hold around him, digging my fingers in his hair. I plucked the baseball cap from his head, turning it and laying it on mine. He chuckled, pulling away. "Hi," he breathed, his eyes twinkling.

The corner of my mouth pulled up. "Hey," I murmured, biting my lip. He eyes dropped to my mouth as he leaned in closer—

A shot suddenly rang out in the air. Josh pulled me down as he ducked, his eyes glancing up to the house. I turned, catching the sight of my father holding a larger shotgun, pointed right at us. He hauled me up quickly, pushing me towards the front of the truck. "Get in the car." He demanded, jerking the door open and jumping in. A laugh escaped my throat as I stopped at the hood of the truck, turning towards my father. Smirking, I gave a slight wave before I calmly walked to the passenger seat.

I closed the door before I leaned over the table the separated us. "I'm feeling very… _rebellious_ today." I said, smiling at him.

He gave me a look, starting the truck and shaking his head. "You're crazy. You're father just _shot_ at me because you're feelin' _rebellious_." He rolled his eyes, sighing.

I shook my head. "No, I'm pretty sure he was aiming for me." I replied, pretending to study my nails as the car lurched into motion.

"What?" he asked sharply, glancing at me out of the corner of his eye.

"You heard me." I stated simply, grinning. "Hey, you like my sweatshirt?"

He smiled, forgetting what I had just said. "Oh, I love it. Where in the world did you get such a beautiful sweatshirt?"

"You know, I'm not really sure. I can't even remember. I was too busy _drowning_." I hinted, giving him a pointed look.

He shrugged. "I have no idea what you're talkin' about."

"Of course you don't." I replied. "Turn up the radio!" I commanded, leaning forward to turn the volume up as loud as it would go. A song blasted out from the speakers, the chorus striking me as I listened.

_Cause when push comes to shove,_

_You taste what you're made of._

_You might bend, till you break,_

_Cause it's all you can take._

_On your knees you look up,_

_Decide you've had enough._

_You get mad, you get strong,_

_Wipe your hands, shake it off,_

_Then you stand, then you stand._

I pictured myself standing up to my father, standing after so many times he'd knocked me down. My breath caught in my throat as I imagined his face as I stood, becoming the better, stronger person; maybe not in physical strength, but in mental. I turned to Josh, sure that my stunned expression was still plastered on my face. "What's this song called?"

He glanced at me, noticing my sudden change in mood. "_Stand_ by Rascal Flatts. They're a good band; plays music people can relate to. Why? You like it?" he reached over, turning it down slightly so the music wasn't bounding around in my head.

I nodded. "Yea. Kinda inspirational, ain't it?"

He burst into unsuspecting laughter. He ran a hand through his hand, smiling as he side-glanced me. I gave him a look. "What?" I asked, my face twisting in confusion.

He laughed against. "You," he answered simply. "You used _ain't_. I'm rubbin' off on ya, babe." He said; his voice was thick with an accent as he winked.

Heat rushed up to meet my cheeks. "Shut up." I muttered, repositioning the hat on my head so it covered my face.

He grabbed it off my head, just as I had done to him, and put it safely back on his head all with one hand. "Why did you take my hat?"

I pouted, giving him puppy dog eyes. "Because it matches my amazing sweatshirt," I urged, making a grab for it. "Give it back!"

He leaned away, chuckling. "No! Never! It's mine!" he dragged the words out, laughing as the truck swerved slightly. He frowned as the school came into view. "Aw, dang it! Iya and Coffeeblue beat us." He said irritably as he turned into the parking lot.

My heart dropped as I caught sight of them. "I am not looking forward to getting ready for the dance." I confessed lowly, slightly hoping he didn't hear.

He chortled. "I think I might be feelin' sorry for ya right now." He said as he glanced at me, giving me a million dollar smile.

I rolled my eyes, opening my mouth to say something, but only a shriek sounded as a loud _bang!_ exploded from behind me. I jumped, clutching Josh's arm for support as I looked to find Iya's wild hazel eyes staring at me from the other side of the window. I narrowed my eyes in a glare as Josh snickered, rolling down the window. "How are we related?"

Her smile widened. "Because," she explained, "your daddy's brudder married my mommy and dey had me! So you're stuck with me whether you like it or not."

"False," He said strictly, beginning to roll up the window again. "I could get rid of you if I wanted to. Don't try me, little cousin."

"No you co—hey! Hey! Quit! Josh!" She whined, crossing her arms over her chest as soon as the window was closed.

I exhaled harshly, straightening up and brushing myself off. "She scared the crap outta me." I muttered, pouting. "That wasn't very nice."

Josh laughed quietly, kicking open the door. "C'mon, babe, let's go." He said almost as an afterthought.

"What is with you and these pet names?" I asked suddenly, following him. I found him sitting on the hood of his truck already with his cousins surrounding him as I rounded the car.

He shrugged as he caught my eye. "I saved ya a spot, _sweetheart_." The corner of his mouth picked up as he tapped on the hood beside him. I rolled my eyes, smiling as I jumped up next to him, feeling his arm wrap around my waist.

"Dawww!" Coffeeblue said, clapping her hands together as she stared at us. "Y'all are so cute!"

"Yea," Cormac agreed smugly, crossing his arms over his chest, "so are puppies. And kittens. And goldfish. Come to think of it, CJ, what _don't _you think is cute?"

"You," Coffeeblue replied, smiling sweetly.

"Aw, c'mon, man." Josh interjected. "You're just jealous you haven't found _her_ yet."

Cormac's face twisted into slight anger. "_I'm_ the oldest. I should've found her _first_." He said, straightening as he uncurled his arms, balling his hands into fists. Once again, their talk of _her_ baffled me to no end.

Josh stiffened, his jaw clenched. "And _I'm_ the al—"

"_Josh_," Iya warned, her eyes widening.

He merely glanced at her and then returned his gaze back to Cormac. "It doesn't matter."

"Of course it _matters_." Cormac snapped. "You've just never had to _worry_ about anything like that. Everything's always been laid out for you. It was always _when_ not _if_."

"What?" Josh questioned. "Cormac, what are you talking about?"

But Cormac had already left, and was stomping down the parking lot. Coffeeblue sighed, kicking the snow. "I'll go talk ta him…" she said, starting after him.

Josh frowned, relaxing again. "What's up with him?" he asked, glancing towards Iya.

Iya shrugged. "Who knows? He always has those days. He'll get over it."

"Yea," Josh said, sliding off the hood. "Hopefully someone'll knock some sense inta him." He took my hand, helping me down.

"So are you two…" she trailed off, pointing at both of, her eyebrow raised.

Josh grinned. "You guys are gonna have ta take her home." He said, completely blowing off her question. "I've got baseball tryouts after school, but I should be home in time ta get ready for the dance."

"Alright…" Iya eyed him, but she turned and headed for the school.

"Baseball tryouts?" I asked as soon as she was out of earshot.

He shrugged, making his way around me to reach into the cab of the truck. "I'm an athletic guy. Are you not wearing my sweatshirt?" he asked sarcastically, glancing at me as he pulled out my bag.

I glanced down, and blushed as I remembered it was a team sweatshirt from his old school. "Oh," I said, catching my bag as he threw it, "I knew that."

"Sure you did." He said, flashing a smile.

I made a face at him, smacking him with my carrier bag. "Don't doubt my skills, Joshua." I said, raising my eyebrows.

"Oh ho," he said, stepping towards me dangerously. "Is that a challenge?"

I squealed, taking off around the truck with him close on my heels. I ignored the sharp stabs of pain as he caught me, wrapping his arms around my waist and spinning. My screams turned into laughs before he set me down on the tailgate, cupping my face in his hands. I opened my eyes, finding him alarmingly close to me. My breath caught in my throat as I gazed into those dazzling blue eyes. Now that I was so close to them, I saw tiny golden specks littered around the pupil. "Ya caught me," I breathed.

"Yup," he agreed, inching closer, "and now you're _all_ mine." I felt something being placed on my head; his baseball cap. A smile itched at my lips.

His breath circled around me, fogging my senses. I closed my eyes, leaning forward so our lips brushed. "That doesn't seem like such a bad thing."

_**One word: REVIEW! Please, please, please, oh pllleeeaaaasssee?! I would love you foreevvaa! Sooo, question of the chapter: If you could ask me one question, what would it be? I'll try to answer them, but I will not NOT reveal any secrets about the story! But you have to reevviiieeww to ask mmeee! Mwahahaha! I love you gwuys!**_

_**~Anni12**_

_**P.S. Excuse the typos. I only reread it once and I wrote some of it on the tablet and you know autocorrect... soo... yea... REVIEW! :D**_


	14. AN

_**Look, I need y'all to stop asking me when I'm going to update. I'm not going to discontinue this story. I promise. And even if I did, I'd let you guys know. But I LOVE this story. I've gotten so close to these characters. Especially Josh :3 I love him. Hehe. But I love Danny too, and I love their relationship. These characters are like my children-which is weird... but really, hopefully by this time next year, you'll see this book on actual shelves! :O If so, you have to buy it, or I'll be heart broken. Hopefully it will be a best seller! But, yea, I've been really busy these past few weeks. I'm on the softball team (LOVE IT) and we've had all of our farthest away games (like almost 3 hours) all in like three weeks and it's killing my grades in Biology and English. I hate Biology. -_- I could write on the bus, but all of my stuff is on my super handy flash drive that doesn't come in handy unless you have a computer nearby. So... it doesn't help much. **_

_**BUT! I have a proposition. I'm only maybe halfway through chapter 13 and Cormac is hilarious in this one :3 It's fun watching my characters change and grow. But if y'all want, and aren't afraid of SPOILERS, then I'm currently in the process of writing Levi, Kyler, Cormac, and Adam's (another character you'll meet later on) story, but it's set after this book and contains major spoilers. I'm guessing all of you know *SPOILER* that Josh is J. Of course. Anyway, it's their story about how they find their mate. I can post those as a filler if you want (Levi's is both the best and the longest.) So, review or PM me your opinion. And please don't ask me whether I'm going to update :( I'm the kind of person that will go out of her way to prove you wrong, so you tell me to update makes me not want to... so, yea. Anyways!**_

_**Love you guys :3**_

_**~Anni12**_


	15. Levi's Story

_**If you haven't already noticed by the title, this is Levi's story. (Yes, Josh's sweet little eight year old brother is all grown up! And still adorable(; ) I'm not gonna lie, it's got spoilers but not too much. I doubt I'm going to post Adam's story because his has WAY too many spoilers that I don't want to give away, and you don't really know him yet. As for Cormac's, I haven't really writen a lot for him, only a few paragraphs, and to be honest I don't really know where it is... Anyways, if you don't want to read it, then don't. I won't blame you. It is kinda short.**_

_**It's set about... say nine years after IAWAV? Levi's 17 and Hannah's 9 or 10. The rest of the gangs all got kids, whom are adorable! Josh's been in the Air Force and has moved the pack around as he's stationed. They've been restationed again and they're going out to discuss some things but Levi gets a little distracted...**_

_**Okay, I talk too much.**_

_**Go ahead and read if you want, but again, you don't have too. But if you do, please review :3**_

_**~Anni12**_

_**P.S. It's not edited so...**_

Levi's story:

"Hanna," I groaned, trying to shake her off my arm, "Get _off_!" Her arms only tightened around mine.

"No," she whined. "Josh, why do I have to come anyways?" Her greenish blue eyes widened as she stuck her lower lip out. She shook the straight, pale blond bangs to reposition them on her forehead.

He frowned, glancing down at Danny. He sighed. "Because, I told you, Hanna, Mom and Dad are out and I can't leave you home alone."

"But I've _already_ shifted! I can take care of myself! Besides, why can't Levi just stay home and watch me?" She pouted again.

I rolled my eyes. "Because I don't _want _to." I replied, trying to shake her off again. "Ugh, get off! Why don't you go hang onto Josh or Cormac? Why me?"

"Josh's got Brett and True, and Cormac's got Haiden and Landyn." Hanna said, laying her head on my shoulder. I groaned and Cormac snickered.

"What if I carried Charlie, huh? Then you couldn't hold onto me." I said, glancing towards Josh's mate.

She narrowed her eyes. "Uh, excuse me? This is _my_ baby." Danny let out a low growl, glaring at me. Her arms tightened around the pink bundle in her arms.

"No!" True protested. "Mine!" The two year old made a grab for her little sister, letting go of Josh's hand.

Josh cleared his throat. "Um, I'm pretty sure she's half mine too." he said, wrapping his free arm around her waist.

Danny shook her head. "No, she's all mine."

His eyes narrowed. "Then Brett and True are all mine." He bent down, scooping up True by the waist. She protested, pounding her little fists on his arms. Danny scrunched up her nose, sticking her tongue out at him.

I cleared my throat, nodding towards the diner we were passing. "What about here?" I asked, trying once again to shake her off.

"Hungwy!" Landyn screamed, bursting into the door.

Cormac groaned, starting after him. "Landyn! No! Get back—!" he called. He gave up, groaning as he reached the door. "I guess this is as good as any. It's not too crowded."

Josh shrugged, setting True down and nodding, following after Cormac and Landyn. The diner smelled of freshly baked cookies, meat, and… forest? I scrunched up my nose. Why would a diner smell of the forest? "Hey," I said, shaking my arm to get Hanna's attention. "Do you smell that?" I asked quietly so humans wouldn't hear.

Hanna furrowed her eyebrows, sniffing the air. She shrugged. "What? Cookies?" she replied, looking around.

I frowned, following her gaze as we made our way towards a large booth. "No. I smell the woods." Hanna finally let go of me to slide in next to Cormac with Haiden in his lap. The four month old slapped the table, making grabs at everything in sight. I sat on the end, trying to make sense of the smell.

"Hi, I'm Celina, and I'll be your waitress today. Is there anything you'd like to drink?" my mouth dropped open slightly, letting the scent settle on my tongue. She smelled of the forest, of flowers and grass. I glanced up at the voice, my breath catching in my throat. Her heart shaped face was framed by her strawberry blond hair that was done up in a messy bun with strands falling around her cheeks. Her large brown eyes were locked on the pad in front of her. Slight bags shadowed under her eyes and her shoulders sagged slightly, yet her eyes still sparkled. Her hand scribbled furiously and her eyes glanced up every once in a while until they finally connected with mine.

Her lips parted slightly and a blush covered her cheeks. "Um, uh," she cleared her throat. "Is there something I can get you to drink?" she asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Oh, yea, uh… water, please." I sent her a smile before she nodded and scurried off to another table. I watched her before Josh coughed, bringing my attention to him. He sent me a smirk, winking. I growled at him, narrowing my eyes.

"Oh crap…" Danny said, her eyes trialing behind me, frowning. I straightened, following her gaze. A snarl rose in my chest as I watched the girl as she waited on a table filled with teenage boys. She stepped back as one of them reached out to touch her waist and below. Before I could think about it, I stood, but Hanna brought me back down.

"Don't." Cormac said. "It won't end well." He warned, his eyes flashing. I sighed, not looking at him, and continuing to watch Celina. She nodded at the boys, inching away from the one who had touched her. She began walking away while taking their plates and glasses before another boy stuck out his foot and catching her ankle. She gasped as she tripped over him, glass breaking over the tile. I swallowed a growl, but I couldn't help myself from going to her.

"Are you alright?" I asked, taking her arm and helping her up. She gasped as electricity sparked at our touch.

She brushed her hair out of her face, blushing. "Y-yea. I'm sorry." She replied.

"Celina!" A woman growled. Suddenly the whole restaurant was looking at us. "What the h*** happened?" The boys behind us snickered, and I sent them a glare, scowling.

She stepped away from me, stopping the sparks. "I-I'm sorry, I tripped. I'll, uh, clean it up."

Her boss groaned, rubbing her face. "Celina, I can't keep a clumsy waitress." She said, frowning.

Celina's jaw dropped. "No!" her voice cracked. "No, please! I _need_ this job! Please, you have no idea."

She shrugged. "I'm sorry, I—" she began, but I cut her off.

"She's not clumsy." I said hurriedly.

Her frown remained, and her eyes narrowed. "And… you are?"

I stuck my hand out, and she reluctantly took it. "Levi Miller." I said. "I saw her fall. She didn't trip on her own; those boys tripped her." I said, flashing them another glare.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Are you sure?" she asked.

I nodded. "Positive."

She sighed. "Alright. Just, get this cleaned up, alright?" she turned on her heel and walked away.

Celina sighed in relief. "Thank you. Thank you _so, so_ much! You saved my job. Thank you."

I smiled. "You're welcome. Here, I'll help you clean this up." I said, bending down to pick up the scattered glass.

"So, um…" she began, clearing her throat as she picked up the broken glass and putting them on the platter. "Are you just visiting, or…" she trailed off, blushing slightly as her brown eyes glanced up at me.

I flashed a crooked smile before she returned her gaze towards the floor. "No, yea, I'm new here. My family and I just moved here a couple days ago." I replied, but I couldn't stop smiling.

"Oh… so you're going to school here, right?" She asked, mindlessly pulling her hair behind her ears.

My smile fell. School. I really didn't want to think about that. "Yea. I'm a junior." I mentally slapped myself. Why would she need to know that? She doesn't care.

But she flashed me a small smile. "Cool. Me too." she picked up the last of the glass and I put my pile onto the platter she was holding as we stood. She looked away, another blush covering her cheeks. "Well, I guess I'll see you at school. Levi, right?" she asked, sticking her hand out towards me.

I took it, enjoying the electricity I felt come from her skin. Her eyes widened slightly. "Yea." I answered, finding no other words.

"Thanks again, Levi. Bye." She stepped away, scurrying towards the back of the restaurant.

"_Levi!_" Hanna hissed just loudly enough for me to snap out of it and make my way back to the table.

"Shut up." I muttered to the multiple pairs of eyes that were fixed on me. I slid in, locking my fingers together, watching the door to the back room close after her.

_Celina_

My head spun as I dumped the glass in the recycling bin, my hand still tingling from where he had took it. "Eep!" a shrill, excited voice shrieked behind me. I turned, tucking the platter under my arm as I caught sight of Paris.

I sighed, running my hands over my face. "What is it, Paris?"

She squealed, clapping her hands together. She wore the exact same outfit that I did; a low cut black t-shirt and black kakis, but hers had no undershirt underneath. The black only made her cocoa skin look lighter, and her dark eyes darker. Her wavy light brown hair was pulled back tightly, and two pieces fell out on either side of her face. "Did you _see_ him?!" she said, taking my shoulder and shaking. Not so gently, I might add.

"Hey!" I shouted. "Paris!" I peeled her hands off me, rolling my eyes. "Of course I _saw_ him. He saved my job."

She gasped. "So he's cute _and_ sweet!"

"Yes," I agreed, rolling my eyes once more. "His name's Levi and he's a junior."

"Eep!" she cried again, making me cover my ears.

I groaned. "_What_?"

"Goodness," she said irritably. "You are so _blind_, Celina. He was totally into you!"

"No," I said, shaking my head. "He wasn't. Guys don't like me like that. Watch, once he goes to school and sees that I'm a nobody, he won't even give me a second glance."

She scoffed. "Then he's an _idiot_. Any guy would be lucky—" she began, but I cut her off.

"I don't want to hear it, Paris." I said, pushing past her to put the platter away. "You have guys hitting on you left and right!"

"Celina," the chef's voice interrupted. "The drinks?"

"Right!" I said, scurrying over to pour the table's drinks. I turned, seeing Paris carrying plates filled with steaming food. She winked, spinning to kick her way out of the back room. I rolled my eyes, shaking my head. There was no way a guy like _that_ could be interested in _me_. Not really. Not seriously. I backed open the door, spinning around to let it close, and catching the pale blue eyes of the blond haired boy. I gulped, biting my lip as I tried to calm my rapid heart. _Breathe_¸ I told myself, taking a deep breath. _Breathe. He's not that into you. You're not into him. _

"Hi again," I said as I approached the table, avoiding his eyes. "How are you all doing?"

There was a series of replies as I handed out the group's drinks, smiling as the little kids and saving the best for last. He took the glass from me, our fingers brushing, and sending electricity up through my arm. I stiffened a gasp, but I couldn't help but glance up into his eyes, where he held me before I pulled my hand back to pull my notepad and pen out of my apron. "Is there, um, anything I could get you?" I asked, tearing my eyes away from his to scan the groups.

"Mac and cheese!" a little girl sitting by the woman holding a tiny baby squealed, bouncing up and down on the booth. I chuckled, looking to the mother for reassurance. But the man was the one who took her into his arms and whispered in her ear, nodding at me. I quickly sketched it out along with the rest of their orders.

I left them; I had to get away from him before I did something stupid, like blush or daydream about something that would never happen. "Okay," I confessed as soon as I caught sight of Paris in the back room. "He's amazing."

She laughed, clapped her hands before turning to the soda fountain. "I knew it! You _like_ him!" she teased. "So? What did he say? Did he give you an old pick up line, or something specifically for you?"

I shook my head. "He didn't say anything. I was handing him his drink and our hands touched, and it was like…"

"Oh!" she said, doing a little dance while she filled up the glasses. "You felt something, didn't you?"

I blushed. "You know the feeling when your arm falls asleep? Like little needles pricking your skin over and over again? That's what it was like, except it felt like it was spreading through my skin."

"AWWW!" she erupted, literally bouncing up and down as she clapped. "_Finally_! I was beginning to wonder if you even _liked _the other gender!"

I gave her a blank stare. "Thank you for that." I said sarcastically, shaking my head. "But it doesn't matter. Just wait until tomorrow, and _then_ we'll see if he actually likes me."

"I bet you ten bucks he kisses you on the first day." She said, her eyes twinkling. Somehow, she always liked other people's love life more than her own.

I rolled my eyes, trying to hide the red that painted my cheeks. "Ten bucks says he hardly glances my way."

"Deal," she said, sticking out her hand.

"Deal," I agreed, taking it.

I stared at the small piece of paper in my hand, mouth agape, and eyes wide. The tiny numbers scrawled across the paper in messy handwriting baffled me. Suddenly it was gone, snatched out my hands my caramel skinned hands. "Paris!" I cried, glad that the diner had closed after they had left, only staying open until just after lunch.

"Ah!" she screamed. "He gave you his _number_?!"

"Yea," I said, snatching it back. "What a tip." _Too bad I don't have a phone to call him with_. I thought bitterly, ready to tear it up.

"Don't you dare," she said, taking it back. "You call him. You call him right now." She said, handing me her phone.

"No!" I said, pushing it away from me. "I can't do that!"

She scoffs. "And why not? He obviously wants you to, or he wouldn't have left you it."

"So?" I said, and my jaw clenched as I looked away. There was no way I could afford to like someone, let alone have a boyfriend right now. I couldn't have anyone finding out about my life. Not now. Not until I graduated. I was so close. I was almost done. "Look," I said, taking the paper. "I gotta get home. Do you mind locking up for me?" I lied, my eyes widening.

She crossed her arms over her chest, giving me a glare. "Only if you promise to call him," she said.

I rolled my eyes, grabbing my bag off the booth. "Fine," I lied again. "You're the best!"

"Only in France!" she said as I rushed out the door, making me chuckle. I turned down the street, glad for the small town life—where everything was set right at once place. It was hardly a block to the grocery store. Like always, the cashier gave me an odd look when I bought my food and other necessities, but only what I could afford. I sighed as I stepped out, carrying the heavy bags on my arms. Spinning towards the road that led to the woods, I started towards 'home'.

_Levi_

The sun was setting, its light spreading over the land like a blanket. Leaves crackled under my paws as we ran, surveying our new territory. _Levi's got a mate!_ Iya sang as she leaped, her yelps bouncing off the trees, sounding like human laughter to my ears. I growled at her, nipping at her flank, but she only sped up, her mocking laughter echoing in my head.

_Levi found his mate! Levi found his mate! _She chanted, before Jesse barked at her.

_Iya! _He scolded. _Calm down! _

_Oh c'mon!_ She said, but slowed down, dropping to her mate's side and shouldering him. _Loosen up! Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I can't have fun!_

_If that means you won't get hurt, then yes, _he said, growling protectively, _it does._

_You're such a buzz kill_. She said, slowing down to a trot.

Jesse said something back, but a scent fogged my head, blurring my vision and I collided with something tall and dark, sending me back into the pine needles. Laughter exploded through my mind, but the scent was still there. _Levi! _Josh tried to hold in his chuckle as he appeared next to me. _You alright there? Playin' Tarzan? _

I scoffed, rolling my eyes as I stood, shaking my head. _Whatever,_ I said, _I found somethin'. I'll um, be right back…_ I trailed off, dashing after the scent, and not waiting for approval from the alpha. I _knew_ that scent. I _knew_ there was a weird reason why she smelled so strongly of the forest. I stopped dead at the edge of the clearing, my breath catching in my throat. There she stood, dropping plastic bags on the middle of the forest floor, sighing loudly. To my surprise, a tent stood strongly, parallel to a strong flowing river. A stump stood in the middle with one tiny, cheap lawn chair facing it. A cooler sat by the lawn chair, a bag was leaning on it. A circle of stone was near the water and away from the tent, ashes and soot in and around it. Why was she camping out in the middle of the week? And still going to work?

She had dropped the bags by the stump and moved to crawl inside the tent. She went over to the fire pit, crouched, and soon, a tiny flame was flickering. I heard her sigh from here as she picked up something from the ground, setting it so it was across the pit. She leaned over and took something out of the bag, ripping it open and placing it in the pan she had hung over the fire. She stood, went over to the chair, and dragged it back towards the roaring fire. Slowly and quietly, I moved across the edge of the clearing to where I could see her from the side. She had curled up in the chair, letting her hair down and closing her eyes.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a slinking form come out of the safety of the woods, continuing through the clearing; towards the food. Before I knew what I was doing, a warning bark escaped my throat as I started towards the figure; a coyote. Of course. I should've guessed. Its tiny black eyes glanced up to me, wide with fear, before it bolted off. I growled after it, but it fell short as soon as I felt eyes boring into my back. I froze, waiting. Waiting for the scream. The shriek.

But it never came.

Slowly, I turned, and, as my eyes caught hers, she gave a tiny, wistful gasp. I stepped back, tensing to run, but her words stopped me. "Thank you," she said quietly. I began toward the woods, turning away from her, thinking, _idiot, idiot, idiot, _over and over in my head. "Wait!" she said a little louder, making me stop and turn towards her.

My actions surprised her. "You can understand me," she said breathlessly. I resisted the urge to nod, but instead continued to stare at her, studying her. "Please. Stay. I'm…I'm so lonely out here. I could use someone to talk to." She whispered, almost as if a part of her didn't want to admit it.

I glanced towards the woods, where my pack was no doubt waiting for me. "_Please_," she said, her voice cracking. Before I knew what I was doing, my paws turned and started towards her, coming to a standstill about a foot away. She smiled at me, curling back up in her chair.

"You probably think I'm camping, don't you?" she asked, never looking at me, but staring at the chicken cooking.

I grunted in response and she glanced at me in surprise. I plopped down on the ground, sending puffs of dead leaves and pine needles up into the air. I lay my head down as to where I was looking at her. She sighed, leaning her cheek on her hand, her hair falling about her face. In that moment, with the light of the setting sun casting just the right light over her, I knew. This girl was my mate, and I was already falling in love with her. She glanced at me, holding my gaze. "You have the most prettiest eyes," she said. It wasn't a compliment, but she stated it as though it were a well-known fact. I blinked at her, so many responses running through my mind.

"If you must know," she said, "I'm not really camping. Welcome to my home." She chuckled when I flattened my ears to my head. Her _home_? This was no _home_. A growl rose in my throat. "Don't get your panties in a knot. I did this to myself. I ran away from home. I've only been out here for a few weeks—a month at the most. My mother was bringing home boys left and right—some were nice, others… not so much." I couldn't help the growl the ripped through my chest, my fur standing on end.

She ignored me and continued on. "You see, my mother left my father just after I was born. I don't really know why. She would never tell me. All she would say was 'he wasn't what he said he was' or 'he lied about what he really was'. When she announced she was marrying one of the worst ones, I knew I had to get out of there. I couldn't stand to be in the same house as him. So I packed up what I could and left. Simple as that."

I whined, clawing the ground. "It feels… kind of good." She confessed. "To tell someone that, ya know? I've never told anyone that." She sighed, pulling something out of her pocket and loosely examining it, twisting it in her fingers. I stood, straining my neck to see the small piece of paper. I chuckled inwardly; it was the piece of paper Josh had persuaded me to leave her with my number written on it.

"Hey!" she scolded, catching my spying as she tucked the paper away. I raised an eyebrow at her, giving her a wolfish smile. Her eyes widened. "_Fine_. So a boy gave me his number, what about it? Paris, my friend, says that he was really into me, but I don't know. I've never had a guy interested in me like that." She said, blushing. _Good_, I thought, my fur bristling with the thought of another man touching her.

She shrugged. "But, tomorrow, he'll forget all about me, I promise you. He's one of those jockey, sporty guys that don't even now girls like me exist. The chicken's ready!" she exclaimed, jumping up and removing the pan from the heat. Digging in the cooler, she pulled out a plate and utensils; items she had undoubtedly taken from her home. She took the chicken from the pan and onto the plate. "Did you want some?" she asked, pointing the fork lazily at me. I grunted, getting a shrug out of her. "Oh well. Your loss."

_Like I'll forget about _her_ of all people. _I scoffed to myself. I didn't know what would happen tomorrow when I started school, but I knew that would be the last thing that would ever happen.


	16. Serious Problem

_**Well, we have a serious problem here. I was almost finished with Chapter 13; I had like, one scene left, so I go to open it up on Word, and it won't **_**let me**_**. D': It says it cannot be open because there's a problem with the contents. I don't know, but there's probably a virus in it. Ugh. So, either, it is all lost, or I can wait until my dad comes home (who is a mechanical wizard) and he can magically fix it. I'm serious gonna ball my eyes out if I lose this chapter. I was almost done -_- And I'd gotten past the good part too! Ugh, just pray that it'll be alright .**_

_**By this time, I could've had it up, but noooooooooo. So if my dad fixes it, I should have it up by this afternoon or at least tomorrow morning, but if it's not... I don't even wanna think about that. **_

_**So, cross your fingers, hope, and wish me luck. And maybe I can get a new computer too!**_

_**~Anni12**_


	17. Chapter 13

**_Thirteen really IS an unlucky number... I can't tell you how many times I've lost this chapter. But, I finally got it up! So, yey! Be proud of me! I'm being really nice, too! My time it's like 1:30 in the morning -_- SO, I stayed up writing this for you guys. I expect a butt loud of reviews please! ;D _**

**_No, but seriously, reviews? A LOT. I get cranky when I'm tired ;)_**

**_~Anni12_**

**_P.S. This chapter is only edited somewhat, so, please forgive all grammar/spelling errors. It was probably just a typo! Oh, and if you want the translations, you can probably just go to Google, but if you're lazy, like me, and don't feel like it, it's not the big of a deal to the story, so... anyways, ENJOY this unlucky chapter, good things are coming in the furtre :3, and REVIEW FOR PETE'S SAKE!_**

**_Thanks :3 Luv yooooouuu gwuuuyyysss ;D_**

Chapter 13:

Today was officially team up on the mute kid day.

First period; Mr. Louis called on me to answer a question, knowing very well that I knew the answer, but couldn't tell you. Luckily Josh had intervened and told him off. Second period; Mrs. Cadwell does the exact same thing, except no one was there to stick up for me. So I just sat there, the room completely silent, and stared at her until she gave up. Third; we were reading Romeo and Juliet and she wanted me to read the part of Peter. No matter how small the part, it wasn't going to happen, I promise you. Once again, my savior butted in and volunteered to read the part.

But fourth period there was no Josh.

"Ana!" My head snapped up immediately at my Spanish name. "Yo quiero ir a España. Qué es lo que quieres?"

_Quiero dejar esta ciudad. Desaparecer y dejar de hablar a mí!_ I thought bitterly, fighting the urge to scowl and instead stared at Señora Ricardo, my mouth set in a firm line.

A few moments passed before she spoke again. "Qué es lo que quieres?" she said more forcefully, her eyes hardening.

And again, I stared blankly at her, my hands tightening on the pen I held.

For the third time, she repeated the same sentence. "She's not going to answer you." A student said, her voice dripping with boredom.

At that comment, rage and the impulse to prove her wrong ran though my veins.

My chair screeched across the floor as I stood, the whole class going silent as I made my way to the board. My heart was pounding in my throat even at this small action. What was I doing? What had gotten into me? I hadn't wanted to rebel against people for a long time, before I stopped talking. But when I grabbed that marker, it was like all the strength in the world rushed through me. _Yo quiero dejar esta ciudad. Yo no voy a hablar, así que voy escribir._ I wrote quickly before turning abruptly and staring hard at _la profesora._ Her jaw clenched and she nodded once curtly. I smiled, a sweetly poisonous smile, and returned to my seat.

_That'll teach them from ganging up on me._ I thought, the pen scribbling random words in my notebook.

_Aww, are people being mean to you?_ A familiar voice echoed in my head.

I blinked, a smile forming on my face. _J, shut up before I rip your throat out and feed it to your pack._

_Ouch, harsh. I'm hurt. _He said with a smirk evident in his voice.

_Well, I'm not in the best of moods here, buddy._

_Do you need your boyfriend here to cheer you up?_ He mocked, snickering.

I blushed deeply._ How do you know about that?_

_Do you love him?_ He asked suddenly, catching me off guard.

_What?_ I asked, astounded._ That's none of your business. Besides, we just started dating…_

_So?_ He said nonchalantly._ Just answer the question. Unless you're scared…_

_You're crazy._ I admitted, shaking my head.

He thought for a moment. _Maybe. You still plannin' on goin' to the dance tonight?_

_They're dragging me along, so… yes. _I said grudgingly, staring at the clock, willing it to go faster. It was crazy, I knew, but I wanted to see Josh again, and I wouldn't until after his tryouts.

_Great!_ His tone suddenly turned enthusiastic, as if this one piece of information could brighten his whole day.

I rolled my eyes. _So you're gonna tell me who you are, right?_

_I think not._ His voice was no longer zealous, but instead disappointed.

I whined mentally. _Plleeaassee, oh plleeeaaassee? _I begged.

_Um, gottagobye!_ He said quickly, and there was suddenly a wall clocking me.

_Well, that was weird…_ I thought, shaking my head as the bell rung to signal the end of the day.

I jumped up, never so happy to get out of school—I had never wanted to go home before. But this time… this time I was going with the Millers… where Iya and Coffeeblue are going to use me as their own personal Barbie doll. "Ana," a voice with a Spanish accent called, making me look towards Señora's desk, "come here, please." She said in Spanish, beckoning me over.

I hesitated for a moment, glancing towards the door before I sighed, trudging through the lines of desk until I stood in front of her, holding my books to my chest as a barrier between us. She spoke in Spanish, but it automatically translated when it hit my ears. "I don't know why you don't talk," she said, her dark lips dipping down in a frown, "and nor will I ever understand, but a part of Spanish is to _speak_ it. If you can't do that, then I'll have to be forced to give you a zero for participation."

I caught her eyes for a second, biting my lip as I shrugged. I did know what to do, I mean— someone coughed just outside the room, making me turn to see those brilliant blue eyes peeking out at me from under a baseball cap. He tilted his head to the right, his eyebrows rising. I blushed, turning towards Señora and giving her an apologetic smile. I raced towards him, wrapping one arm around his waist and pressing my ear to his chest in a tight hug. He led me out of the doorway. "Hey," he said, kissing the crown of my hair. "Give me your books." He demanded, taking them out of my arms before folding his free hand over mine.

"So what was that about?" he asked, nodding towards the Spanish room. Surprisingly, the hallways were almost completely empty. I glanced at him, surprised that he was already dressed in his practice uniform. _'Mustangs'_, the school mascot, was sprawled across his chest in cursive; a large, bold number twelve was placed near his right shoulder. The uniform was a dark blue on light gray, button down and tucked into gray belted pants. He was still wearing his Nike's, dark blue socks protruding from them and disappearing into the leg of his pants.

I frowned, looking at my feet. "Nothing," I paused, sighing. "Just that she'll give me a zero for participation if I don't talk." I shrugged. "But whatever."

He squeezed my hand, tugging me towards him; I had drifted a ways. "I'm sorry. I wish there was somethin' I could do."

I shrugged again. "It's not your fault. It's my fault I can't talk in front of people." I kicked the ground, scowling at it. _Actually, it's not. It's not my fault my 'father' has taken even that away from me through fear._

He kissed my hand, gazing at me with those orbs of blue. "You'll talk ta other people when you're ready."

"It's not like it hasn't happened before," I said, ignoring his hopeful sentence. "Everyone's tried threatening me into talking."

"I'm sorry," he breathed, wrapping his arm around my shoulders, sending that electricity through my body.

I looked up at him, a small smile playing on my lips. "Why are you so perfect?" the words slipped through my lips without filter.

He let out a short huff that wasn't a laugh or a scoff, but somewhere in the middle. "I'm not, I promise you."

I hugged his waist, feeling my cheeks heat up for no reason. "So you ready for tryouts?" I asked him.

I felt him shrug and I could hear the smirk in his voice. "Of course," he said arrogantly, "I'm amazin' at baseball." He said, glancing down and winking.

I rolled my eyes. "Of course you are," I repeated. "You're amazing at everything."

He laughed. "I'm glad you think that, but I'm really not."

"Josh," I said, ignoring his comment as I blushed, "How do… _relationships_ work? I mean—how are we supposed to act, or me, specific. What are we—?"

"Calm down, sweetie," he said, kissing my hair. "Just… there's no rule book or anythin', Danny."

I flushed, burying my face in his side. "Shut up," I said, embarrassed. "I've never done this before."

A deep chuckled ran through him. "Believe it or not, me neither." I glanced up to see his cheeks redden before returning to normal.

"No way," I said disbelievingly, shaking my head.

He gave me a look. "I'm serious," he said, "You're my first real girlfriend. Whether you like it or not." He winked, giving me a smile that made my insides twist.

I blushed at the word. We turned a corner and he stepped away from me, frowning as he took my hand in his iron grip. I looked up to see a pair of dark eyes observing me. I glanced down automatically, wanting to separate our fingers, but he wouldn't allow. I stole a look upwards, seeing his face hard and determined as he stared him down. Destiny turned as she noticed the look on Jake's face, scowling as she saw our locked hands. I stepped back, hiding slightly behind Josh. I guess the girl from this morning was gone, replaced once again by my sister. I kept my eyes down as we passed them, but I could still feel her gaze in the back of my head as if just by simply staring at me, I would burst into flames at her command.

"Hey!" Jake called after us, making me stop in my tracks, squeezing my eyes shut and holding tighter to Josh's hand. "B****!"

Reluctantly, I turned my head, peeking up at him. I felt Josh tense next to me; we had the whole hall turned to attention. Jake smirked at me, winking. "I'll see you later."

I frowned, furrowing my eyebrows at him as Josh let go of my hand, whirling towards my sister's boyfriend. I lashed out, grabbing his arm and shaking my head. _He's not worth it_, I said, hoping he would get my message through my expression. He ground his teeth together, glancing from me to Jake before his beautiful eyes scanned the dispersing crowd. He flared his nostrils, his jaw tightening before he nodded briskly, taking my hand rather roughly and turning away from them.

"That's right, b******," Jake incited, "Walk away like the little coward you are."

Josh stopped dead, his eyes blazing as his hands closed into tight fists. He reeled around, raising his fists, but I was quicker, flinging myself between them. I closed my eyes, my arms stretched wide as I awaited the blow. A sharp gasp spread through the crowd, but all I heard was a low growl. "Why would you _do_ that, Danny?" Josh's voice snarled.

I opened my eyes to see his fist hanging in the air before it dropped, leaving a twisted expression on his face. I glanced behind me to see Jake smirking and Destiny frowning before I lunged forward, placing my hands on Josh's chest and pushing him away. Eventually he gave in, giving one last glare towards Jake before falling into step by my side. "What the _crap_ were you _thinkin'_?" he growled in a whisper, draping his arm over my shoulder, showing his 'possession of me.'

"I was _thinking_," I said, blushing as I looked up at him, "that you wouldn't hurt me. And I was right." I shrugged, but my heart was still hammering inside my chest.

"And what if I had?" he said, his voice dripping with anger and his eyes still blazed. "Huh? What if I hadn't a caught myself and _hit_ you?"

Again, I shrugged it off as if it was nothing. "I'd deal with it. I couldn't let you get in another fight with Jake. He was _provoking_ you, you know."

He raised an eyebrow, pushing the front doors open, but I continued. "He _wanted_ a fight," I said, shaking my head. "He wanted you to get in trouble. And I _do_ like the idea of having a boyfriend on the baseball team."

His lips twitched in a smile before returning to a frown. "I coulda hurt you," he said, his expression suddenly sad.

I bumped his shoulder with mine, sending slight pain waves through my bruised back. "But I knew you wouldn't," I said, taking a deep breath as I said for the first time in my life, "I trust you." As soon as I said it, I knew it was true and I felt like a huge weight had been lifted up off my shoulders.

His twinkling eyes turned towards me as he leaned down to press his lips to my hair. "Good," he said, smiling widely. "I'm glad. I won't let ya down."

"Better not," I growled, but my cheeks heated with embarrassment as I bit my lip.

I glanced up at him, surprised to see his eyes filled with emotion he opened his mouth to say something, but another, higher voice cut him off. "There ya are! We've been lookin' for ya!" Coffeeblue called, her low heels clicking as she jogged up to us. "Josh, you're gonna be late for tryouts."

She grabbed his arm, dragging him back to the car without waiting for him to respond. "Coffeeblue! Coffeeblue!" he groaned as I followed them, silently shaking my head. "I can walk myself."

"Maybe," she said as we reached the Prius, where Iya was sitting on the hood and Cormac leaned against the door, "but you're too wrapped up in your girlfriend ta think." I blushed at her words, and I swear I saw Josh's cheeks darken slightly as well.

He ripped his arms out of her grasp, rolling his eyes and scoffing as he went to the SUV that was parked next to them. "Maybe," he repeated, mocking his cousin, "but at least I have a right to." He said, opening the back door as he stole a glance to the scowling Cormac. He reached in, and picking up a bag that had two bats protruding from it.

He walked up to me, ignoring the glare Cormac placed in the back of his head as he cupped my cheek. "Bye," he said, kissing my lips lightly before slinging his bat bag over his shoulder and backing away from me towards the school. He eyed the two girls. "And you two... Go easy on her, will ya?"

Coffeeblue smirked. "What're ya talkin' about?" She said innocently. "We're just getting' ready for the dance..."

Iya shot her a glance. "Yea," she said, "Speakin' a which, Josh, would ya like her hair curled or straight as it is?" She asked, her voice being smooth as silk.

He raised an eyebrow. "Why don't yaask her?"

All eyes turned towards me, making my face go red with embarrassment. I shrugged, twirling my finger around a lock of hair. "Alright," Cormac's voice sliced through the silent like a sharpened dagger, "so curled. It's settled. Get outta here." He nodded towards the school, his eyes narrowing at Josh.

Josh rolled his eyes, but started backwards towards the baseball field. "Still jealous, I see?" He smirked before turning his back on us, but not after a wink in my direction.

Cormac growled, his eyes blazing as he glared after his cousin. "He is such a confident, arrogant jerk." He snarled, his hands clenched by his side.

Coffeeblue put her hand on his shoulder gently. "It's alright, Cormac, you'll find her eventually. I promise."

His glare shifted to her. "Just like you'll find him?" He growled, his eyes darkening. Iya glanced worriedly at me as I watched Cormac's flare-up silently.

Coffeeblue stiffened. "Excuse me?" She said, her voice becoming hard. "What're you talkin' about? Of course I'll find him someday."

"You've never worried that you might be _mateless_; cursed to spend your life alone? Forever?" He snapped, hurt flashing through his eyes. Mate? What was he talking about?

She frowned, lowering her eyes. "Sometimes," she confessed. "But Mom says that's hardly ever the case. Everyone has a mate."

Cormac's eyes hardened. "Well, ya better hope he doesn't come until after I meet her."

"Excuse me?" She repeated, her voice angry again. "Just because you're older doesn't mean you get your mate first. And I can go out with anyone I please if I feel like he's the one."

Cormac's gaze looked up as he frowned. "Well, let's see."

Suddenly a boy appeared next to her that I hadn't noticed had approached sheepishly, shifting his weight from foot to foot awkwardly. "Uh, Coffeeblue?" He asked in the scratchy voice of a young boy.

She whipped around, raising her eyebrow as she plastered a fake smile on her lips. "Oh, hi, Owen!" She said enthusiastically.

He was an odd boy. His stringy brown hair curled in his small, dark green eyes as he looked over her shoulder towards her twin brother. His figure was small with tiny feet and hands and a triangular face. "Uhh," he stammered, "Would you go out with me...? On a, um, date?" He blushed, glancing down at his feet while he awaited her answer.

She blinked, biting her lip. "Sure," she said eventually, surprising everyone, especially Owen. "When?"

"Uh... Is tomorrow night, uh, alright?" He asked nervously. He didn't actually expect her to really say yes.

"Of course! I'll see ya then!" She waved as he turned and strolled back to his pathetic excuse for a car. We all watched him go.

"What the crap was that?" Cormac all but growled as she turned back towards him.

She shrugged. "What? He could be _the one_." She rolled her eyes. "Let's go before steam starts comin' from your ears." She yanked open the driver's door, getting in and expecting us to follow. I did, planting myself in the back immediately. Iya slid in next to me soon after, rolling her eyes at her older brother. Cormac slammed the door closed as he got into the front seat, huffing.

I buckled myself in, biting my lips at the awkward silence. A slow country song began playing as Coffeeblue put the car in drive, speeding out of the parking lot. "So you're _really_ goin' ta go on a date with this guy?" Cormac asked, turning towards Coffeeblue with an eyebrow raised.

She shot him a furious look. "Maybe," she said, "if you keep _actin'_ like _this_."

"Like _what_?" he growled.

She growled back, startling me. "Like a _jerk_."

Cormac scoffed, shaking his head as he returned his gaze out the window. I glanced over to see Iya biting her lip, playing with a thread on her jeans. "So…" she began, "Someoneaskedmetothedance," she mumbled quickly.

Coffeeblue squealed, hastily forgetting her argument with her twin. "Oh my gosh!" she said. "Who?!"

At the same time, Cormac said, "What?!"

Iya ignored him. "His name's Anthony," she said. "He's a senior and he's really cute. He's really sporty too."

Cormac growled. "_Shut up!_" Coffeeblue snapped. "We're your little sisters; you can't control us. Iya can go to the dance with whomever she sees fit. She's smart enough not to make some stupid decision."

He sighed. "Alright," he said, his voice oddly calm, "chill out."

Coffeeblue flashed him a furious glare. "You _really_ wanna go there?"

"You're my sister," he shrugged, "I think I have a right ta be protective."

"Lay off a bit," Iya interrupted. "Josh's isn't even that protective."

Cormac laughed out loud; a short, humorless laugh. "Yea right!" he exclaimed. "Just you wait and see. No guy would even _dare_ glance in Danny's direction, and Hanna's not old enough ta date yet." A blush rose to my cheeks as my name was brought into their conversation, but I could easily prove him wrong. _Jake_.

"It's true," Coffeeblue said dully, "He got in a fight the other day with Jake."

Iya glanced at me before returning her gaze to the front. "Because of Danny?"

Coffeeblue nodded curtly. "He didn't say why exactly, though."

"And," Cormac huffed, "you're buggin' me about bein; protective. At least I don't punch a guy for flirting."

_He wasn't _flirting_. He was harassing me. _I growled mentally. _And Jake provoked him_… I added silently.

"Shut up, Cormac." The girls said at the same time, throwing him glares.

"Ouch," he said, pressing his lips together in a firm line. "You've hurt my _feewin's_."

The girls couldn't help but giggled, but they composed themselves quickly. "Don't bring Hanna into this," Coffeeblue snapped, but covered her mouth as she laughed again.

Cormac chuckled, shaking his head. "Hey, aren't we supposed to be pickin' up Levi?" he asked, and Coffeeblue did a sharp turn, throwing me against the side of the car.

I jumped as Iya's phone rang in her pocket, making her squeal as she checked the caller ID. "It's Jesse!" she screamed.

"Great!" Coffeeblue said, pulling up behind the line of cars. "Put 'em on speaker."

She did just that. "Heeeeeelllooo?" she sang, sliding over beside me to free a seat for Levi.

"Hey, Iya," a deep, male voice answered, surprising me.

Cormac and Coffeeblue immediately interrupted. "Hey Jesse!" they both screamed, earning a chuckle from the other side of the phone.

"Did I call at a bad time?" he asked.

"Nope," Iya said, popping the 'p'. "We were just pickin' up Levi from school."

Jesse laughed; it was pleasant and soft. "Good," he said, "Tell 'em I said hi."

"You can tell him yourself." Iya said, opening the door as Levi appeared.

Levi jumped in, straightaway noticing the phone in Iya's hand. "Who're ya talkin' ta?" he asked, the seatbelt faintly clicking as he buckled himself in. I zoned out of the rest of the conversation, pressing myself against the side of the door to create space between me and Iya. I stared out the window and sighed mentally. Why had I agreed to go with them again? Oh right… the dance. I groaned silently, squeezing my eyes shut. Briefly, I heard my name being mentioned, but I ignored it.

"Can I call ya later, Iya?" Jesse asked, suddenly sounding uncomfortable.

Iya noticed as she furrowed her brow. "Um…" she hesitated, "Sure, I guess. Bye."

"Bye!" The rest of the car said before the line went blank.

"He's so in love with you," Coffeeblue said, smiling.

"Um," Iya muttered, blushing deeply. "No, he doesn't, really. Besides, I don't even like him like that."

"Mhm," Coffeeblue hummed, shaking her head in disbelief.

"_Shut up_," Iya growled, biting her lip. "I don't like him like that…"

"IYA STEPHANIE MILLER!" Coffeeblue yelled, turning her sister's head to a certain angle for the hundredth time. "STAY STILL!"

Iya grumbled under her breath, crossing her arms over her chest, but let Coffeeblue continue to straighten her hair. I sat on the bed in my little black rose dress, a smile spreading on my lips as I stared at the two. I had not yet had my 'hair and make-up' done, and I was personally fine with it. Coffeeblue had already had her hair curled by her sister and her pink and gray eye shadow brightened her hazel eyes.

The door suddenly flew open, making me jump. "'Ello, ladies," Josh smirked with one hand on the doorknob and the other on the wood of the doorway.

Coffeeblue groaned, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "Just take her," she said, waving her hand in the air. "We'll need her later, though."

Josh lifted his hat, running a hand through his hair, chuckling. "Alright then," he took a step into the room, smirking at his cousins.

Coffeeblue held her straightener out at him. "Don't you dare touch me, Joshua; you're all sweaty!"

"I am _not_," he said sarcastically, taking another step towards her.

"_Joshua Kevin Miller_," she growled, threatening him with the steaming straightener again, "if you take one more step, I swear I will _kill you_."

Josh laughed, holding up his hands defensively and side stepping towards me. "Alright, alright, CJ, calm down," he said.

She scrunched up her nose. "Ew," she replied as if he hadn't spoken, "and you stink, too. If I was Danny, I wouldn't want to be near ya at all."

I laughed, covering my mouth with my hand. Josh shot her a glare before taking my free hand and pulling me up to my feet. "Well, you're not her," he said, pulling me out of the room. "And for your information, she _does_ want ta be near me—you do want ta be near me, don't ya?" he asked, closing the door behind us.

I pulled him further away from the door, giggling. "Yea," I breathed, "Stinky, sweaty, and all."

He smiled victoriously, his arms wrapping around my waist. "Good, because I'm afraid it'll happen again and again." His eyes twinkled as he pulled me closer.

I gasped, my hands squeezing his upper arms. "You made the team?!"

"Well," he rolled his eyes, "I'd be surprised if I didn't; I'm a pretty good hitter, if I do say so myself." He smirked conceitedly, something sparking in his eyes.

I raised an eyebrow. "You are an arrogant little—" He cut me off, his mouth crushing mine hastily.

I pushed him away before it could get anywhere, biting my lip. "Okay, I'll admit that was a _pretty_ good way of shutting me up, but…"

"I could do it again," he said quickly, lowering his mouth towards mine.

I ducked my head, blushing. "No!" I squealed.

"Mmm," he whined, his fingers dancing at my waist. "Please?"

I sighed, standing up on my tip toes to peck his lips briefly. He smiled, chuckling quietly to himself. "So," he said. "I've decided tabget a job."

My eyes widened, my mouth gapping open. "A job?" I smiled. "_Where_?"

"I was thinkin' the General Store," he replied. "I need some money if I'm goin' ta have a girlfriend."

I bite my lip. "Why would you need money?"

He kissed my forehead, chuckling. "So I can take ya ta dinner, or buy ya somethin' once in a while."

"Oh," I shook my head, "You wouldn't have to do tha—"

He cut me off again, taking my face in his hands as he pressed his lips to mine. All too soon, he pulled away. "Yea, I do. That's what guys do, Danny, when they lo—like a girl." He said, dropping his hands to study my face.

I blushed, running my hands through my hair. "Well, um, uh…" I sighed, wrapping my arms around his neck. "I think I'd like that." I breathed, kissing him softly on the lips.

"Comin' out, lovebirds!" Coffeeblue yelled before the door opened and she lashed out, grabbing my upper arms. "Sorry, cuz, we need her." She flashed him an apologetic smile before pulling me after her.

"Go take a shower!" she screamed before closing the door. "You stink!" she added, groaning to herself before dragging me over to the now empty chair.

"He is so whipped," she muttered, sitting me in it and running her fingers through my hair. "'Iya, would you do her nails and make-up while I curl her hair?"

Iya was studying herself in the mirror, and, deeming her appearance worthy, nodded. "Alright," she said, straightening. "Do we need make-up removers?"

Coffeeblue pulled on my hair slightly. "Hey," she said to me. "You already got some make-up on?"

I stiffened internally, but nodded. _How 'bout let's not,_ I thought, squeezing my eyes shut. _Let's not do this? Please?_

But the cool wipe was already running across my skin. There was a sharp intake of breath and the tension in the room thickened. "Coffeeblue," Iya breathed.

"What?" she snapped, and then gasped. "Get Josh." She muttered.

There was a rustling of feet before Iya spoke again. "Joshua!" she called loudly. "Joshua!"

"I thought I was sweaty!" he yelled back.

Iya scoffed. "Just get _up_ here!"

"Hopefully she'll explain this ta Josh," Coffeeblue said, as though I wasn't in the room.

I groaned inwardly as the door opened, but I didn't dare open my eyes. "What do ya guys want?" Josh asked, and his voice dropped dangerously low.

"Um…" Coffeeblue said awkwardly. "Um, your girlfriend would like ta speak with ya, um, alone, so Iya and I…seeyalaterbye!" And then the door shut after them.

"Danny…" he said slowly, his voice dropping to a growl. "You wanna tell me what's goin' on?"

_No, not really_, I thought, but at the same time, a part of me wanted to tell him. Maybe it was time someone knew. Maybe I needed to share this burden instead of carrying it around on my shoulders all the time. "After, um," I stuttered, opening my eyes to find his brilliant blue ones gazing at me. I sighed, looking away from him. "My father was pretty mad after you dropped me off yesterday, because I'm not…exactly… _supposed_ to have friends, let alone a boyfriend for that matter. He…. He started yelling and he… he hit me, and then I got away from him, but he caught me on the stairs…"

"Danny…" he repeated, a frown appearing on his face.

"No," I said, shaking my head. "It's time someone knew."

His face twisted into something I didn't quite understand, but I ignored him. "When he caught me on the stairs, I got angry because he… he said that my first was… was using me, and I, uh, kind of kicked him in the face before I knew what I was doing. I—I went up to my room, and, uh, tried calling on my phone, but he caught up with me and smashed it and proceeded to, um," I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath, but I couldn't continue.

"He…" Josh's voice was strained. "He… he _hits_ you?"

I nodded, sighing. "Ever since I can remember," I breathed.

"That explains _a lot_," he growled, standing abruptly and pacing.

Again, I nodded meekly. "Yea," I whispered and he rubbed the bridge of his nose, sighing irritably.

"Imma kill 'em," he muttered under his breath. "That doesn't explain why Destiny's such a jerk ta you."

"No," I shook my head. "He's always loved _her_. She's _perfect_. Honestly, I don't know why—I mean, why does he hate me and love her?"

He grumbled something too low for me to hear. "Whatever," I said, sighing. "Can we talk about this later?"

He mimicked my sigh, coming back over to my side. "Alright," he said, lightly pressing his lips to my forehead.

"Girls!" he said, standing. "You can stop eavesdroppin' now," he walked briskly to the door, pulling it open to reveal Coffeeblue and Iya on the other side.

Both blushed sheepishly, but it was Iya who spoke. "Whhhaaattt?" she said.

"We weren't eavesdroppin'," Coffeeblue scoffed.

Josh rolled his eyes disbelievingly. "Whatever," he said, switching places with them as they sneaked into the room. Coffeeblue and Iya exchanged nervous glances. Josh smiled at me before closing the door.

"Okay…" Iya said, slowly strolling over to her make-up bag.

"Oh," Josh interrupted as he poked his head in the door and made all of us turn to him. "Don't make her _too_ pretty, alright? We don't want _everyone_ gawkin' at her." He caught my eye, winked, and was suddenly gone.

I blushed, closing my eyes as a smile played on my lips. "Great," Iya said as she took my hand and I soon felt cool liquid on my fingernails. "He's goin' ta be _so_ jealous tanight."

"Ya got that right," Coffeeblue agreed.

"Let's just hope he doesn't kill anyone," Iya sighed.

Coffeeblue scoffed. "I think he'd do anythin' for this girl," she said. "Even kill somebody."

I studied myself in the mirror in Josh's room, blinking furiously. My hair was curled in loose locks, but they had kept my bangs straight. My brown eyes stood out when they normally didn't, the sparkling silver eye shadow that Coffeeblue had applied to my eyelids. She had put on more mascara than I ever had, and my long lashes curled, making my eyes seem bigger than they already were. Red rose earrings studded my ears and a single heart necklace speckled with diamonds lay on my chest.

I frowned, tilting my head. It didn't feel like me. It didn't feel _right_. I wasn't supposed to look even remotely pretty—I was a nerd, and I always would be. I'd never be the popular, beautiful girl that I wanted to be. I'd always be the shy, smart, ugly girl who no one would notice. Even years from now, at our ten year reunion, no one would recognize me—if I was even alive then. I sighed, blowing my bangs away from my face.

"Danny," Josh gasped as the bathroom door opened, steam swirling around him. I whirled around—and my breath hitched in my throat. I know knew how it felt when _he_ had seen _me_ in just a towel.

His wet hair clung to his forehead, blinking as his hands went to his waist. Water droplets hung on his tanned skin and exposed chest. A single towel suspended from his hips, and I closed my eyes before I could study him further. I turned around, gasping. "Sa-sa-sorry," I stammered. "I-uh-uh, um—"

He scoffed, and I could just see him running a hand through his hair. "I'll, uh, be right back," he muttered and soon I heard the door shut again.

I relaxed, sighing and biting my bottom lip. _Well, that wasn't awkward_. I thought sarcastically, making my way to the bed and resting on it. I rubbed my hands together, chewing on my lip. "Sorry 'bout that," Josh said as the door opened again, but it was no better than last time.

His towel hung around his neck and his dress pants settled on his hips. His feet and chest were bare, and he rubbed the towel through his hair before tossing it on the bed. He grabbed a white tee shirt off the bed, smirking as he glanced at me. "Danny," he said, making my gaze snap up to him. "I know I'm _gorgeous_, but there's really no need to stare."

I glared at him while he slipped on his shirt, the smirk still plastered on his face. "Shut up," I growled. "You're so annoying."

He flashed me a grin before jumping on the bed neck to me, snatching up a pair of socks from the pile of clothes he had strewn on the bed. "You wanna give me a foot rub, babe?" he asked, wiggling his toes.

"EW!" I screeched, pushing his leg away and making gagging sounds.

He laughed loudly before slipping on the black socks. "Don't worry," he chuckled. "You'll get around to it eventually."

"You're disgusting," I retorted, inching away from him.

He stared up at me with innocent eyes. "What?"

"I don't like _feet_." I shuddered, scowling at him.

He laughed, shrugging on a white dress shirt. "Not even little tiny baby feet?" he switched to his baby voice as he buttoned the shirt.

I rolled my eyes. "Babies are adorable," I said, scoffing.

He smiled, popping the collar up. "Yes," he agreed, making his way to his closet. "But that doesn't answer my question. Which tie should I wear?" he asked, opening his closet door to reveal a dozen ties hanging off the door.

I stood, ignoring his other comment and went to stand beside him. "Definitely the red one," I answered. "Goes with my dress."

He flashed me a smile as he slid the tie off the rack and wrapped it around his neck. "Obviously," he smirked, "because you _are_ my date." He winked.

He groaned suddenly, undoing the tie from the knot he had done. "I can _never_ do these things," he growled.

I rolled my eyes, stepping up and taking the fabric from him. "Here," I said. "Let me."

His hands dropped and he stared at me. My father owned one, crappy, dirty tie that he never wore, but I had nevertheless learned to tie a tie in case he ever made me. At least something good came out of it. I felt his hands at my waist as I tightened the knot, pulling me closer to him. He didn't say a word, but I pulled down on the tie, drawing his lips to mine.


	18. Chapter 1--Josh

**_Because I was bored, and stuck on the dance, I decided I would write in Josh's POV. Later, the story should be in his POV anyways, so... This is just a little somethin' to explain what happened that night in the woods, and some of their back story. It's kinda cute, if you ask me. I promise I'll get Chapter 14 up here as soon as possible. Softball's about to end ( D: ) so I should have more time in the summer! Whoo! Can't wait! Except for driver's ed -_- so, anyways, Chapter 1 again, in Josh's POV!_**

**_~Anni12_**

**_Josh's POV:_**

_Chapter 1:_

"This is stupid," Levi whined for the hundredth time, crossing his arms over his chest.

Kyler, the quiet, calm little boy, growled at his younger cousin. "_Thank you,_" he said sarcastically. "For that wonderful piece of information WE ALREADY KNEW!"

Cormac chuckled softly, still staring out the window with his chin in his hand. My hands tightened on the wheel as I glanced in the rearview mirror to check on the two boys in the back of the pick-up. Levi was glaring at Kyler with his mouth pressed into a firm line. "That's enough," I said before Levi could snap back at him. "Levi, we all know ya don't wanna move, but we got no choice. They were destroyin' our territ'ry."

"I know," he huffed, "but I wished we coulda stayed."

"Me too, bud." I sighed. "Me too." Even though a part of me agreed with my younger brother, the other half believed that something good would come out of this move. Something that couldn't be found back in Kentucky.

As we pulled up to the yellow ranch house, I noticed my parents were already there, unloading the horses and their supplies. Levi and Kyler were already out as soon as the car stopped. Cormac then leapt out, stretching his arms by his side. "It's so cold here!" he complained.

"It's win'er," I said, rolling my eyes as I opened the door. Indeed, cold air rushed into the car, making me shiver. The little ones raced around the front yard with Iya and Coffeeblue supervising.

"Josh!" the alpha called, beckoning me over to the stables behind the main house. I glanced around before complying. Where was Adam?

Forest surrounded the house to all side, drawing my wolf side to them. I was itching to shift: we had been driving for days and hadn't been able to run. "Let's go check out our new territ'ry." My father said as I entered the stable.

I felt my face light up. "Yes!" I agreed hastily. "Everybody comin'?"

He shrugged. "It'll take longer ta unpack, but we might as well explore a little."

I turned, a smile spreading across my face as I cupped my hands around my mouth. "C'mon, y'all! Let's get movin'!"

I heard Cormac yell excitedly, and soon the rest of the family joined in. Their whoops soon turned to howls as their wolf side took over, and I immediately felt that familiar tingling. I dropped on all fours, lifting my muzzle to the sky and letting loose a loud, long howl. I heard the alpha and his mate join in behind me. I even heard the little ones join in. Although Levi and Hanna had yet to fully shift, when both alpha shifted along with the mother, the kids shifted into pups. The alpha had a certain amount of control over the members of his pack, and he was able to make the children shift for reasons I had yet to understand.

Still, like every other member of the pack, they loved to be in their true form. I picked out Levi's tiny howl before he raced into the woods without a second thought. _Levi!_ Many of us yelled after him, but to no avail. His dark gray coat darted into the forest, leaving me to chase after him. I let out a warning growl, telling him to stop, but the little pup shot like lightening, not slowing down to anything.

_Levi!_ I barked as I hurled myself over a fallen log. _Get back here!_

_No_, his voice rang in my head. _I just wanna ru—_he yelped suddenly. A bark escaped my throat as I sped up, my paw pushing hard against the ground as I ran. I felt the presence of my pack behind me, their barks answering mine. Levi whimpered unexpectedly. _Ouch. _He said simply.

My mother sighed in relief. _Levi_, she said softly. _Are you alright?_

_I'll scare 'er off_, he replied and his tiny growl made me scoff. I knew _he_ wouldn't scare away whatever had harmed him, but _we_ could. As I ran, I opened my jaws to let out a piercing howl, and soon, the rest of them joined in.

Soon, the sight of the little pup sitting awkwardly on the ground with his teeth bared came into view. I skidded to a stop, and growled as I caught sight of a girl sprawled out on the forest floor, pulling my lips over my teeth in a snarl. A notebook lay a couple feet away from her, a pencil hooked in the spiral. Her brown eyes were wide as she stared at Levi, but at my growl, she whipped her head around to stare at me with her mouth wide open. As her eyes caught mine, my growl died in my throat and something burst inside my chest. My lips fell back over my teeth as I stared at her, studying her every feature, memorizing the way her lips parted effortlessly. I hardly noticed as Levi slipped under me, whining gently. The wind blew her chocolate brown hair across her face, and, as it did, something inside me whispered: _mate_.

She jumped as a growl sounded to my left, her lips sucking in a soft gasp of air as she turned her head towards the sound. I glanced over, seeing my mother baring her teeth, snarling at the girl while crouching in attack position. My heart leapt at the thought of her hurt and a bark that sounded more like a yelp pulled from my throat along with a deep, hearty growl. I took a few steps closer to the girl, ready to protect her if I had too. _Joshua?_ She asked, standing straight and tilting her head in confusion, her ears flicking tentatively.

_Leave,_ I stated simply, glancing at her before pulling my gaze in a circle, showing my teeth in warning. I connected with the gaze of every wolf, noticing their confused look, the Miller stubbornness shining in their eyes. I growled, urging them to move as I shifted to walk around her, the shock of my tail brushing her arm never leaving my mind. Questions bombarded me, but I ignored them. _Leave_, I growled again. _Now._

Slowly, with another glance towards me and the girl, they slowly dispersed. I turned, finding myself in front of her and held captive in her coffee brown gaze. I sat, grinning widely at her. Her chest rose and fell slowly, her eyes still wide in amazement. A slow, calm breeze blew her scent to me and I froze, my mouth closing in shock as I sniffed the air. Blood. Her blood. Cautiously, I stood, stepping towards her and placed my nose to her knee, locating the source of the scent. She smelled of sweet, soft vanilla laced with the smells of the kitchen, but most noticeably—the strong scent of alcohol.

She leaned over, glancing up at me gingerly, as she rolled up the leg of her sweat pants. Red slowly oozed out of tiny cuts on her knee, and immediately, my canine side took over and my tongue shot out to clean the wounds. She gasped sharply and I glanced up at her. She smeared her hands on her shirt and brought them up to look at them. I stepped over, continuing to wipe the blood clean. A soft, exasperated laugh produced from her lips, making my heart flip in my chest as I glanced up at her before continuing. I stiffened as I felt her fingers run across my shoulder and through my fur. A shiver rippled through me. Normally, if a human had dared to _'pet'_ me, I would've taken their hand off, but instead, I sat down again, closing my eyes to enjoy her touch that sent bolts of electricity through me. I leaned into her. She flinched harshly, and I pulled away to eye her cautiously.

She winced again as a loud, thick voice boomed, "Danny! Where the h*** are you?!" I sat upright, alert, and turned my head towards the sound.

"Oh, no," she whispered, wrapping her arms around her knees and placed her chin on them. My ears flickered in confusion as I glanced back at the voice, groaning inwardly. _Who _is_ that? _I thought. _I really gotta learn these woods quick. Where did she come from? I wonder what her name is…_ I turned back to her, finding her gaping, her eyes once again wide.

Another voice entered my mind, jarring me back. _Danny_, she breathed. _My name is Danny. I don't want to go home. I want to stay out here. I don't want to go back._

I gasped, but it came out more like a whine as I stepped back in shock. _You can hear me?_ I asked. This couldn't be happening. I wasn't about to exploit our secret to a human. This was odd. Only mated wolves could speak to each other when one of them wasn't in their wolf form. Surely this girl couldn't be my mate? I hadn't found her, had I? And, even if she was, we weren't mated yet.

I was brought out of my thoughts by her shaky nod, her hands trembling.

I backed away more forcefully, shaking my head. _No_, my voice was strong, although my heart was beating erratically in my chest. _You have to forget this night ever happened, Danny. You can't tell _anyone_, do you understand? It would be best for you just to forget this night_.

_Wait!_ She called, her voice stopping me in my tracks. _I don't want to forget. I won't tell anyone_. Her voice was small, soft, shy.

I growled lowly. _That's what everyone says_.

_Really_, her voice cracked as she closed her eyes briefly. _I swear. I can't. I don't speak—I can't. I'm too scared._

The fact froze me again. _What?_ I blinked. _A teenage girl who don't speak? Are you serious, or just jokin' me?_

_I'm serious. I have no friends, hardly a family if you can even call them that. I won't tell anyone. And trust me, no matter how hard I try, I can't forget this._

_But you're talkin' ta me. Right now. _I said, raising an eyebrow that she couldn't see.

_You're a _wolf_! And somehow, we're talking in our thoughts, not speaking._

_Whatever_, I said, backing away once more. _Please, just try to forget this!_

_Wait!_ She screamed again, once again, her voice pulling me to a stop. _Do you have a name?_

I shook my head, sighing lowly. _If I told you, you would just have to forget it. It's best if I don't tell you right now. _I turned, the dead leaves crunching under my paws as I launched myself into a run.

_Wait! Wait, no please tell me! _I flinched at her tone, my heart beating in my throat, but I just sped up. Closing my eyes, I let my instincts guide me home, but the farther I got from her, the more my heart pulled for her.

_JOSHUA!_ A shrill voice interrupted me as I broke through the line of trees, flinching. I glanced up as I shifted back to human form to see my mother standing in the back doorway with her arms crossed. "Get in the house _now_." She growled, flashing her canines.

"Yes ma'am," I muttered, sighing as I trudged towards the ranch home. I found my parents seated in a newly furnished living room, where only a set of chairs and a couch stood in front of a television.

"I suggest ya sit down, Joshua." Mother growled again, her arms and legs crossed as she leaned into my father as they both sat on the couch. My father stared at the blank television, his lips picking up in a smile.

I did as I was told, glancing towards him for help, but to no avail. "Yes ma'am," I repeated, knowing that was the only thing she wanted to hear at the moment. Wolves had a terrible temper.

"Do you have _any_ idea what coulda happened out there?!" she hissed furiously, leaning forward to glare at me.

I glanced up at her sheepishly. "But, Mother," I began, but she cut me off.

"Your brother could've been _injured_, Joshua! Seriously! That girl coulda been a poacher! Or a hunter!" she shook her head. "She coulda been dangerous, Joshua. As future alpha, you need to learn ta—"

My father cut off the beginning of her rant. "Gail," he said, chuckling as he shook his head. "Let the boy alone."

She glanced at him in surprise. "Peter!" she breathed. "Levi coulda been hurt, or worse!"

"But he _wasn't_," he said, turning his full attention to his wife and son.

She sighed. "Joshua coulda been hurt as well. What right did he have to call us off—call _me_, the boy's _mother_, off?"

My father sighed lowly, smiling and rolling his eyes. "He did, Gail, sweetie."

My heart caught in my throat at the thought of her, of the memory of her eyes that his words brought to my mind. My mother furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "But—what?"

His eyes flickered back and forth. "Surely you noticed?" At her continued expression, he gave a short laugh. "She's his mate, dear."

At this, her eyes widened and she glanced at me. "Is that true?" she smiled. "Have you found _her_?"

I sighed, closing my eyes as my mouth picked up slightly. "I… I think so…"

She screeched, jumping up and flinging her arms around my neck. When she spoke, I realized she had tears flowing from her cheeks onto my shoulder. "My baby's found his mate!" she wailed, her arms tightening around me. "Oh, you're goin' ta be such a great alpha, sweetie!"

She pulled away, wiping her cheeks swiftly. "So? When do I get to meet this girl? And why didn't she shift when she saw us? What's her name? Is she nice? Does she know you two are mates?"

"_Mom_," I said, frowning. "She's human." I said as if that explained everything, because it did.

I watched as their faces fell, their mouths both turning into a frown at the same time. My father straightened in his seat, leaning his elbows on his knees. "This is not good, Josh. You know what that means." He raised his eyebrow in question.

I lowered my gaze. "I know," I breathed. "And I'm not lookin' forward to tellin' her 'bout us.

"You may not," he said, his voice firm, and at the tightening in my stomach, I knew he had used the Alpha's Voice. "You will not tell her until you are _sure_ she can handle it. I will not have our pack bein' the reason our world's secret becomes discovered."

"Yes sir," the words slipped from my mouth as they always did when he used the power.

My mother frowned. "She'll handle it once she knows she's in love with you," she said, startling me by the straightforwardness of her words. "So what's her name? When will we get to meet her?"

"Danny," I replied. "I'll try ta bring her home as soon as I can. She seems… a little shy…"

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, that just won't do…"

I stood, feeling uncomfortable talking about my... _mate_… with my parents, and the _alphas_. "Don't worry, Mom," I said, a smile tugging at my mouth. "I'll just earn her trust first. It won't be hard."

I didn't realize how wrong I was.


	19. Chapter 14

_Chapter 14:_

A few weeks ago, if someone had told me that I'd be going to the Mid-Winter's Formal with an amazing guy like Josh, I would've laughed in their face. If they would've told me that someone else knew of my home life, I'd think they had gone mental. But here we were, hand in hand as we gazed up at the lighted school.

"Well…" Iya said, grasping Anthony's arm. The dark haired boy's eyes widened as Iya began to drag him up the steps. "What're y'all waitin' for? Let's go!"

"Yikes!" he yelped and soon they disappeared behind the gym doors.

Coffeeblue took off after them, leaving Cormac by himself, grumbling under his breath. As he trudged up the steps, I began to follow him, but Josh pulled me back. I gasped as I turned, throwing my hands on his chest to stop me from running into him. His lips lifted up in a crooked smile. "Why don't we just… wait out here for a bit?" he suggested, pulling me closer.

"Josh…" I warned, giving him a look and trying to pull away, but he held me firmly by the waist. "We could get in _trouble_."

He shrugged nonchalantly. "We might…" he said, lowering his head. "But what's the fun in that?"

"Josh," I said slowly, but his lips were already claiming mine. I stepped back, ignoring the click of heels approaching.

I gave him a look. "Oh, get a room, you s***." A snide, shrill voice interrupted as I felt a hand between my shoulder blades, pushing me towards Josh.

I gasped as he stumbled back and he threw a glare over my shoulder. "Sorry," I mumbled, feeling my cheeks heat up in embarrassment. He closed his brilliant eyes, shaking his head. "I don't understand." He muttered just enough for me to hear.

I ignored him, sighing as I intertwined our hands and momentarily lay my head on his chest. "You should," I breathed shyly. "I've explained it the best I could.

Absentmindedly, his fingers twirled around a lock of my forced curls as he stared hard over my shoulder, his eyes dark. His mouth was pressed into a firm line, his eyes growing darker with his thoughts. Slowly, he returned his gaze back to me. I searched his face for any opening to his mind, but there was none. How I wished I could just read his thoughts. "Family," he said, picking his words carefully, "is somethin' I've never doubted. If there was anythin' I needed, my family'd be the first I'd go to. I couldn't imagine _not_ havin' a family I could rely on. I love 'em, even if they are the most annoyin' people sometimes, but I knew that they love me too." He sighed lowly, his eyes darting back and forth as they studied mine.

I sucked in a breath to hold back the tears I felt coming. "Josh," I whispered, "you don't have to…"

He shook his head, cutting off my attempt to speak. "If there's one thing I know, Danny, it's that a family is and always will be forever. You should be able ta count on yer family in the worst and best times. Not countin' on them for that _worst_ part of yer day."

"I _know_ it's not right," I said defiantly. "But there's nothin' I can do about it."

I only realized how I had said what I said when a small smile played on his lips. I sighed irritably, blushing. "But there is," he said, chuckling slightly. "I might be okay with sharin' my family with ya, if ya'd like."

My scoff of disbelief seemed to discourage him. "I really don't wanna talk about this right now, Joshua. This is supposed to be a _good_ day, and I don't really wanna to ruin it by thinkin' of… _him_."

"Alright," he said, chuckling again as he leaned down to brush his lips to my ear. "But I'm still rubbin' off on ya, darlin'."

Swiftly, I turned my head, my lips grazing his. I smiled as he gasped, blinking wildly. "I'm startin' ta enjoy it," I whispered, using my best imitation of his Southern accent.

He laughed, closing the short distance between us. "I…" he began, but thought better of his words and stepped away from me, glancing up towards the school. "Think we better be goin' in soon."

I sighed, glancing towards the school. Lights were pinned on the edge of the roof, covering just the front half of the school. Blue, sparkling garland draped the double doors and balloons floated from the corners. Someone had shoveled the slush away, but snowflakes still drifted slowly onto the ground, making the winter evening cool and peaceful. Still, a knot had formed in my stomach at the thought of entering the gym. "I don't really _want_ to…" I confessed, biting my lip.

"You're the whole reason I'm here!" he said, glaring at me.

I flashed him an innocent smile. "How 'bout we ditch the dance?" I suggested. "Go somewhere else? Like dinner, or a movie?"

He pinched the bridge of his nose. From his pause, I could tell he was tempted. "No," he finally said. "Iya and Coffeeblue will go nuts."

"So?" I whined. "How bad could that be?"

He gave me a look like I'd just offered to throw a kitten down a cliff. "No, you're right, let's go." I said quickly, turning towards the building. I hesitated, staring at the doors. I heard a chuckle sound behind me and then felt a hand on my waist, lifting my feet off the ground. I yelped as Josh set me down at the top of the steps, smirking at me before heading towards the doors. "I changed my mind!" I squeaked. "I don't wanna go! I wanna go home, curl up in a blanket and watch a movie!"

He ignored me, never letting go of my waist and continued to drag me to my death. "How 'bout let's not?!" I screeched feverishly, squirming in his grip. It only tightened. "Please, Josh?!" I whined.

He stopped suddenly, chewing on his lips as he stared off away from me. He closed his eyes tightly and shook his head curtly. "It's just a dance, Danny." He said with his voice strained. "Trust me, no one's gonna hurt you."

My stomach twisted as my throat closed. He just had to bring that up, didn't he? "Fine," I breathed. I did… trust him, didn't I?

Without another thought, he pushed through the doors. "Hello!" An oddly cheerful voice greeted us. Two ladies, teachers, sat at a table with a metal box in-between them and a roll of tickets.

Josh shot her a smile. "Hello," he replied, pulling us up to the table. He pulled out a couple of bills and gave it to the lady.

"Thank you," she said, taking it and counting. "Have a nice night!"

We turned to stroll down the hallway. "You too!" he responded.

My breath caught in my throat as we walked down the hallway, and I began to hear music. I stiffened and crossed my arms on my waist, clutching my sides. I could do this. I could do this. As long as I had Josh, I could do this. I could do this.

I couldn't do this.

An odd, pathetic sound slipped from my throat as I dug my heels into the floor. "Josh," I whimpered. "I can't do this. I can't do this. I _can't_."

He turned, catching my shoulders gently to make me look him in the eye. "What are you so scared of?"

"Everyone," I squeaked. "Everything. I—I could trip over my feet, or, or—"

"You shouldn't be afraid of what everyone thinks." He said softly, rubbing my upper arms in attempt to comfort me. "You shouldn't be afraid of what I think, or what Destiny thinks, or even what you think. As long as you believe in yourself, others will too. I promise."

"But I _don't_," My throat tightened again. "When you have people putting you down your entire life, at one point, you start believing them. And you think that maybe they're right, that you aren't good enough for anyone. Eventually you realize you're not pretty, and that you're not worth anything." I looked down, afraid that if I gazed into those brilliant blue eyes, I'd break down.

"How 'bout this…" he breathed, holding up his hand with his pinky hooked out. "I promise that if you don't have fun, we can go home."

I stared at his hand. "Wha—wha—what is this?"

"A pinky promise," he said, raising an eyebrow. Sighing, he took my hand, closing it into a fist except my pinky and then hooking mine around his. "But you gotta promise you'll try."

"Alright," I whispered.

I gasped as the door shot open, clinging to Josh. "There y'all are!" Iya's harsh voice called. "Y'all take too long!" A hand wrapped around my upper arm. Why does she always grab me? I took hold of Josh's sleeve as Iya pulled me into the gym.

I had never heard music so loud and fast. I closed my eyes to the blinding light, gripping Josh's sleeve tighter. "Iya," he scolded.

"What?" she said, but released my arm seconds later. My eyes fluttered open as I felt his arm wrap around my waist.

Anthony suddenly appeared next to Iya, wrapping his arm around her waist. "C'mon, babe," he said, nodding to the dance floor where all the other students were grinding against one another, "let's go dance."

Iya glanced nervously at Josh, and then at the people dancing. "Uhh…" she began before the song changed, the music slowing into something slower. Her face brightened. "Alright!" She took his hand and dragged him to the edge of the crowd.

"Whadda ya say?" Josh said suddenly, dropping his arm to take my hand.

"What?" I whispered, turning my head towards him. "Dance? Me? No way."

He smirked. "I was hopin' you'd say that…" his eyes flashed devilishly. "I know this song really well…In fact, I could sing it for ya…"

"No!" I squealed, covering his mouth with my hand. "I'll dance, just don't _scream_, please."

He laughed. "Good," He said, pulling me towards the horde of students. "I'm glad ya see it my way."

I shot him a glare, but he was already mouthing the words to the song. _I get carried away, by the look, by the light in your eyes before I even realize the ride I'm on, baby, I'm long gone. _He took my hands, placing one on his shoulder and taking the other in his own hand. He then wrapped his other arm around my waist and began swaying side to side. _I get carried away. Nothin' matters but bein' with you. Like a feather flyin' high up in the sky on a windy day, I get carried away. _

I leaned in close to him. "Do you have to know _every_ country song there is?"

He gave me a look. "Of course. It's my job as a cowboy!" he joked.

"You are not a cowboy, Josh." I breathed, closing my eyes and shaking my head.

"Sure I am!"

I patted his shoulder softly. "Alright, Joshua."

"Are you mockin' me?" he growled, pulling me tighter against him.

I choked back a gasp. I could feel his rhythmic heart beat pound through his shirt. I smiled innocently, blinking up at him. "Me? No, never."

He pushed me away, keeping a tight hold on my hand, so that I spun once before he pulled me back to him. I laughed breathlessly as he continued to spin us around, pretending to know how to do the waltz. His brilliant blue eyes sparkled with laughter and his smile shined brighter than the lights around us.

The moment was perfect.

And then the song ended.

And for a second, we were still dancing. That was, before something caught my ankle. I gasped sharply, feeling the already sprained injury giving out. Arms wrapped around my waist, keeping me from falling. "Destiny," Josh growled, glaring over my shoulder, and setting me up back on my feet.

"What an ugly dress," her shrill voice said behind me, "but it suits you." I cringed, closing my eyes.

"You wanna talk about an ugly dress, Destiny," Josh spat, "go look in a mirror."

I opened my eyes to see him still glaring over my shoulder viciously. If only looks could kill. I glanced back to look at Destiny, and covered my mouth to hold in a scoff. Destiny's lips were pressed into a thin line, her makeup caked eyes were staring harshly in my direction. Her dress was blue, like the color of a small pond on a perfect day. Two pieces of fabric ran vertically down her chest, coming to meet at a silver hoop. It continued to trail down, splitting down her leg. All in all, a lot of skin was shown.

Jake frowned behind my sister, the corner of his mouth picking up as he saw me studying him. I blushed, adverting my eyes downward. He wore a simple black suit with a blue bowtie matching the color of Destiny's. "Eyes off," Josh snarled, tugging on my waist to half-stand in front of me.

Jake chuckled darkly, his smirk widening. However, he didn't get the chance to speak. "Is there something wrong here?" Mr. Louis asked, staring defiantly at the two boys.

Josh's chin rose a little higher in the air, his nostrils flaring out in a warning. Still, he continued to stare down Jake, daring him to do something. Jake laughed once, a short, shadowy laugh. "No, sir," he said, taking Destiny's waist and stepping back. "He's got no chance anyways."

Josh grumbled something under his breath, taking a step forward, but I held him back. "I already beat your…" he paused briefly, "once."

Jake glanced over his shoulder. "Beginner's luck," he replied before disappearing into the hallway.

"Yea right," Josh scoffed. "I could do it again in a second."

Mr. Louis rolled his eyes, straightened his tie, and walked off back to the circle of other teachers. Suddenly, my stomach growled loudly, making my cheeks red with embarrassment. Josh brought his fist up to his mouth and then turned to look at me. "Hungry, are we?" he asked sarcastically.

Red painted my cheeks even more. "Um…" I breathed softly. "I haven't really had anything to eat today…"

His hand dropped along with his jaw. His beautiful eyes widened in shock. "_Please_ tell me yer exaggeratin'."

_Don't think about eating anything, you fat, ugly b****. _I flinched again involuntarily. Sighing, I whispered, "No."

He grabbed my wrist gingerly, beginning to drag me towards the side of the room. "You're eating somethin'," he demanded.

Maybe this _dieting_ thing would be a good thing. Maybe I had gained a few pounds. I wrenched my hand out of his, blushing deeply. "Um… I'll be right back, okay? Imma go ta the restroom." I pointed sheepishly, smiling innocently.

He gave me a small smile. "Alright," he replied, turning and making his way through the crowd.

I turned on my heel, letting out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding. Starving myself may be extreme, but I wasn't really looking for another beating more than what I already deserved. If he found out I'd eaten just a crumb, I'd be lying in a pool of my own blood.

After I'd finished, I walked out of the bathroom that was hidden at the end of a tiny hallway. A tall, slim figure stood in the dark, blocking the way back to the gym. I gasped, jolting back a couple steps, and placed a hand over my heart. "You Josh's girl?" The voice was deep, familiar, but I couldn't place my finger on it.

I backed up to where I was pressed up against the bathroom door. I pushed it open slightly, the thin line of light streaming over the boy's face. He was about six foot tall, his shoulders were small along with the rest of his body, but he still had an air of dominance around him. His stringy black hair hung, brushing his forehead just above his eyebrows. His eyes struck me so much that my heart leapt in my chest. They were a dark, luminescent blue, shining when the light reflected off of them.

"_You Josh's girl_?" he repeated again, taking a step forward, his arms crossing over his chest. He rolled his eyes when I didn't answer, scoffing. "Of course, yer the girl who don't talk."

He dropped his arms suddenly, briskly walking up to me. He put his hands on either side of my head, staring down at me, but not putting any weight on the door. "Look, I know you think that Josh is all special, and wonderful, and all the good stuff, but he _isn't_. He's just _usin'_ you. You really think that someone can be in love at seventeen?" he scoffed, shaking his head.

My heart beat erratically, and I was almost sure he could hear it. Of course. Of course he was using me. "You probably don't believe me, do ya?" A small smile played on his lips. "Well, ya should. You see, the first one of us that finds _her_ gets control. That's all he _wants_. Is control of the p—family. And with you, he has that. That's the whole reason he's playing all lovey dovey and crap. _Power. Control._

"He doesn't love _you_." He shook his head in disbelief.

"Adam," a voice behind him growled. Josh took him by the collar, pinning him against the opposite wall. "What do you think yer doin'?"

Adam scoffed, brushing himself off. "Just tellin' yer girlfriend here what yer real intentions are."

Josh lashed out, grabbing handfuls of Adam's suit, pushing him up against the wall again. "Oh really?" he growled. "Ya think ya know what _I_ want?"

A deep rumbling came from somewhere in Adam's chest. "That's all ya ever talk about!" he said loudly. "Someday Imma be—"

"I suggest you get out of here," Josh said, cutting him off before letting go of his jacket.

Adam shook his head to let his hair fall back into place. "Whatever," his eyes caught mine briefly. "Think 'bout what I said." He shot a glare at Josh before stomping down the hallway.

Josh turned to me, fear written over his face. "What did he tell you?" he asked, taking my hand and pulling me into a hug.

A small gasp escaped my lips as I wrapped my arms around his neck. He was right. In every aspect, he was right. Maybe not for what I had thought, but Josh was using me. To get control of the… family? Although it didn't make complete sense, I knew it was true. Adam was just saving me the time and the heartbreak. But there was no way I could lose Josh. Not after what he's done for me. Not after he's helped me changed. I shook my head softly. "Nothing," I lied. "Nothing I believed, anyway."

I pulled away, smiling weakly at him. I had never been a good liar. Still, he smiled in relief. "Good," he said, taking my chin in his hand to lean down to press our lips together softly.

I stepped back, blushing. "But, um, I think I'm gonna go home, though." I pointed over my shoulder.

Josh's face fell, but he nodded. "Alright, I guess I did promise. Do you have to go _home_?" he asked, scowling.

I sighed, nodding as we walked slowly to the door. "Yea, it's 'bout time I get home. My father's gonna be pretty ticked already, so I better not keep him waitin'."

"At least let me talk ta him," Josh pleaded, his eyes wide as he begged.

I shook my head vigorously. "No!" I all but screamed. "You do that and neither of us'll live ta see another day."

Josh scoffed, rolling his eyes. "I can't believe you don't have any faith in me." The doors shut silently behind us as the cold wrapped its icy fingers around me. Josh shrugged off his jacket, draping it over my shoulders.

"And I can't believe you don't believe me," I said, turning to begin the long walk back to my house.

"Hey!" he said, grabbing my wrist. "Yer gonna _walk_? Can't I drive ya?"

I frowned, the memory of the last time I'd let that happen running through my mind. "No, I'll walk."

"Aw, c'mon, Danny," He began.

"No, I'm good," I said, continuing. "I'll just steal your jacket and go."

Josh laughed, shaking his head. "That's cool," he said, rolling his eyes.

I laughed, spinning around to walk straight ahead. I took the back way, walking along the backsides of the buildings. I tightened his jacket on my shoulders, shivering slightly. As I passed an alley, suggestive sounds floated out. I scowled, closed my eyes, and kept walking.

Footsteps sounded behind me, the snow crunching underneath. I scoffed, rolling my eyes. _Josh_, I thought, _still trying to convince me to let him drive me. _An arm suddenly slipped around my shoulder, pulling me closer to the person's chest. "Hey, babe," the smell of old alcohol drifted from his breath.

I gasped, ducking under Jake's under. He stumbled slightly, throwing up his arms to steady himself. How do you get drunk in the matter of ten minutes? Only Jake. "Go away," I squeaked, pulling Josh's jacket tighter around me still. _Oh real nice, Danny¸ _I thought sarcastically to myself. _Way to sound intimidating there, bud._

His eyes widened and he smiled idiotically. "She speaks!" He yelled, stepping towards me.

I took a couple steps back. "L—leave me-me a-alone." I stuttered.

He staggered forward, his eyes glazing over. "C'mon, babe," he slurred. "Just play along." He reached out to touch me, but a yell escaped my lips. I turned and ran without a second thought. If I was lucky, Josh hadn't left yet, and even if he had, I could go back into the dance. Anything, anywhere but with Jake. I could hear his slow, sloppy footsteps behind me as he ran after me.

Bright headlights interrupted my vision as I came in view of the parking lot. The SUV's lights switched off and Josh stepped out of the driver's seat, a blank, confused look spreading across his face. I ran into him, throwing my arms around his waist. "Jake—" I panted, gasping for breath. The cold cut through my throat, stinging as I breathed. "He—he tri—tired to—hurt—" I stopped, burying my face in his chest.

"Therrreee you arrre." His words slurred together as I heard his come up behind us loudly.

"Dude, you're drunk," Josh stated obviously. "How'd you get drunk in less than ten minutes?"

"Itssss called drinking," Jake scoffed. "'ssss fun!"

Josh sighed, but pulled me closer to him. "Just go home, man. Lay down, get some sleep, throw up while you're at it."

"Buuuuuut…" he began.

"Just… just go."

"Alrrriiigghht."

Josh laughed. "I think I like 'em better drunk…"

I scoffed, lifting my head to gaze up at him. "Maybe," I agreed. "Can you take me home now?"

He looked at me, his eyes studying me intently. "Home-home or home?"

I sighed, laying my cheek on his chest so that I could hear the steady beat of his heart. "Just home."

His lips pressed softly on my head. "Alright, sounds good to me."

I reached up to wrap my arms around his neck, standing on my tip toes to look up at him. "Kiss me," I demanded, my arms tightening around him.

"If you insist…" He sighed, leaning down to press our lips together. I chuckled, tightening my arms to press him closer to me. His lips parted mine, exploring my mouth without a second thought.

_I think I'm falling in love with you._ The words formed on my lips as he pulled away to breath. I held my tongue, biting my lip as I stepped away from him. _He's just using you._ Adam's words echoed in my head. I couldn't fall in love with him if he was just going to throw me away after he was done. Just save myself the heartbreak, but I wasn't strong enough to let him go before I had to.

He took my face in his hands. "I thought I told you to stop that," he said, stepping up to me.

I gripped his hands on my cheeks, still continuing to bite my lip. "Oh, and why is that?"

"Because," he leaned down. "It makes me want to kiss you."

"Then why would I stop?" I breathed before our mouths met once again, briefly. I backed away, a sneeze tickling my nose. I opened the door to the car before sneezing into my elbow, a short cough following it.

"You alright?" Josh asked as he settled in the driver's seat.

A cough escaped again and I shook my head. "Yea," I said, buckling myself in. "I guess that's what happens when you get _thrown_ into a _lake_."

Josh laughed curtly, throwing his head back. "It was yer fault! You threw my cookie inta the lake!"

"It was _dis—_" I began before Josh shot me a glare, "Heavenly." I said instead, nodding at him.

"Uh huh," he said, speeding out of the parking lot.

"If I get sick, it's your fault."

He gave me an innocent smile. "And I'll be a good boyfriend and take care a you."

"You better," I snapped, sticking my tongue out at him.

The rest of the ride was filled with constant playful bickering, like always. At one point, he took my hand and leaned over to kiss me at a stop sign. I yawned, curling up in the seat, with his hand still in mine and closed my eyes. "I'm tired," I whined when we stopped. "Carry me."

"So demanding," Josh murmured as he got out of the car. I unbuckled myself but didn't move. The door opened seconds later and I felt his hands slipping under me. Soon, I was curled up against his chest with my head on his shoulder. He closed the car door and began up the steps.

"You're home already?" Gail's voice called from somewhere in the house.

"Yea," Josh said back. "Adam gave Danny a hard time, so we decided to just come home."

There was a pause. "Adam?" She asked. "Is she spendin' the night again?"

"Probably," He replied.

"_My_ Adam?"

Josh sighed, walking up the stairs. "Yes, Mama!" He called loudly.

He set me down on the bed, kissing my forehead. "Do you need me to dress you, too?"

My eyes shot open, staring up at him in horror. "That's a negative," I said quickly, hopping up to dig through his dresser. He laughed, coming up behind me and pulling out two pair of sweatpants and ratty t-shirts. He handed one to me, nodding towards the bathroom. I changed quickly, hanging my dress up on the shower curtain, and came out to see Josh digging through his closet. "Josh," I said.

He barely glanced my way as he pulled down a spare blanket. "Yea—" His sentence was cut short by the pile of sheets the fell on his head. He huffed angrily, shoving them off of himself. His cheeks were flushed red—in anger or embarrassment, I wasn't sure.

"You don't have to sleep on the floor tonight," I whispered, "if you don't want to."

His eyebrows came together in confusion. "Then where would I—oh." His eyes brightened. "Alright."

"But _no_ funny business, you got it?" I growled, pointing at him with a look.

He saluted me, the smile never leaving his face. "Yes, ma'am!"

I rolled my eyes, but climbed underneath the covers. "You goin' ta bed so early?" Josh asked, the bed dipping under his weight.

I nodded meekly. "Mhm," I hummed. "I'm tired."

"It's only eight o'clock," He protested.

I groaned. "Maybe if you shut up I could catch some _shut-_eye."

I felt his arm wrap around my waist. "Maybe I'll just keep talkin' just ta annoy ya."

"I will _kill_ you," I threatened.

He laughed, but said nothing more.

:::::

"I hate you." I moaned, turning to dig my face into Josh's pillow as I tried bringing the covers up higher. I had woken up with a sore throat, sniffling nose, and a pounding head. So far, Josh was keeping his promise of taking care of me.

He chuckled. "Sorry," he said, amusement hidden in his voice.

I groaned. "It's your fault. You're the one that _threw_ me into the freakin' lake!" I tried yelling, but it just ended in a cough.

He laughed again, deeper this time. "Sorry," he said again, "but you threw my cookie into the lake. It was only right to make you go get it." He flashed me a grin as I lifted my head to glare at him.

I sniffled, groaning again. "And why aren't _you_ sick, huh? I pulled you in after me! If I'm in pain, then you should be too." A shiver suddenly ran through me, making my teeth chatter.

The bed moved as he shrugged. "I don't know. I'm too hot to have a cold." He chuckled, winking at me.

I shook my head. "You are so full of yourself. And you already used that one, so you can't anymore." I groaned loudly, pulling the blanket around me. "I'm so cold." I whined.

He moved underneath the covers with me, opening his arm. "Come'mere." He said and I happily confined, snuggling up to his chest.

"I still hate you." I said as he wrapped his arm around my shoulders.

He chortled, kissing the top of my head. "I know, I know."

After a few moments of silently watching the TV, I spoke again, smirking. "You should go make me chicken noodle soup." I offered, poking his chest.

He scrunched up his nose, tilting his head slightly. "Why? Did you see the way my cookin' turned out Sunday? And now you want me ta go make ya _soup_?" he asked, bewildered. "This cold must've gotten ta your head or somethin'." He shook his head slightly, smiling.

I pushed him as hard as I could, but he didn't budge much. I sighed irritably. "Because that's what you _do_ for people when they're sick. Especially if you're at fault! Have _Hanna_ help or something." I snickered.

He rolled his eyes, but slide off the bed. "Fine. Just don't get mad at me if I burn it or somethin', kay?"

I giggled, shaking my head. "Alright. Whatever. Just promise me you won't burn it." He shot me a glare as he left the room, sticking his tongue out.

One TV show and a hundred Kleenex's later, he finally came in with a steaming bowl of liquid. "Yey!" I cheered sarcastically, sitting up and clapping my hands together. His eyes narrowed as he came towards me, handing me the bowl. "Took you long enough." I muttered, stirring it.

He rolled his eyes as he climbed in next to me. A faint blush covered his cheeks, making me giggle. "Shut up. I had to restart it… a couple a times…" he said faintly while shooting me a glare.

I laughed. "Well, thank, you, _Joshywa_." I giggled again as he shot me another glare. "Did _Hanna_ hewp you dis time?" I said in a baby voice, batting my eyelashes at him.

He groaned, but it sounded a little like a growl. "No. She did not." He sighed.

I took a bit, almost spitting it back up, but I swallowed it before placing the bowl on the table. "Let's go for a walk."

He whipped his head towards me, his mouth agape. "What?!" he exclaimed. "But I just—I just…ugh. Fine." He snatched his sweatshirt off the ground as he got off the bed and tossed it to me. Smiling, I put it on, following him.

"So where are we—" I asked as we joined up at the door before he pulled me to him, cutting off my sentence with a kiss. I pulled away from him. "Stop! I'm sick!" I said, biting my lip.

He growled that animal-like growl and pulled me back to him. "I don't care. I haven't kissed ya all day. It was buggin' me." He pulled back, kissing my nose and then my forehead. "I really am sorry I got ya sick. But it is kinda funny." He chuckled.

I punched him in the stomach. "Shut up." I coughed.

He laughed again, but reached down to take my hand as he led us out the door and down the stairs. "Mom!" he called as soon as he reached the last step. "We're goin' out!"

"What?!" Gail shrieked. "It's freezin' out there!" she said, her eyes narrowing as she put her hand on her hip.

Josh shrugged. "She wanted to. And who am I ta say no?" he chuckled, winking.

She rolled her eyes and returned to whatever she was doing. "Whatever. Just don't get hurt, okay?"

"Alrighty boss!" He exclaimed. He grabbed a coat off of the hangers and shrugged it on as we walked out the back door. "You wanna take the horses?" he asked, glancing in the direction of the stable.

I shook my head. "Nah. Let's just walk this time." I blew out in agitation, thinking about last time.

He scoffed through this nose. "Okay. Trail or no trail?" he asked, a dangerous tone in his voice as he look at me.

Having a boost of confidence, and a sneeze, I rocked back and forth on my toes. "No trail. Just a walk through the woods."

He stepped in front of me, dipping his head forward slightly. "The road'll be rough." He warned jokingly, quoting a movie we had watched. I giggled, shrugging. "There's no turnin' back." He said, his voice low as he stepped forward slightly.

I frowned. "But then we'll never get home." I pretended to think as he chuckled. I shrugged. "Alright."

"Easy won't be part of the equation." He growled.

"Oh, I remember this part!" I squealed. "Um…" I turned my face serious as Josh tried to hold in his laugh. "Promise?"

He took hold of my upper arms. "I gotta warn you. Goin' into the belly of the beast. There'll be danger at every turn."

I stepped up to him, poking his chest. "I eat danger for breakfast!" I bit my lip to stop from laughing.

"You hungry?!" he asked, his face lighting up.

"Starving!" I exclaimed.

"Welcome aboard!" he said, taking my hand again as we both burst into laughter. "Okay, okay, c'mon, let's go, Rhino." He joked again, starting for the woods.

I jokingly saluted him. "Yessir, Mr. Bolt, sir!" I practically yelled before coughing.

He laughed, leaning down to kiss my temple. "You _poor_, poor, wittle ting!" He said in a baby voice.

I groaned, pushing him away. "Your. Fault." I reminded him, giving him a glare.

He chuckled, shrugging. "What's your favorite animal, Danny?" he asked, wrapping an arm around my shoulders to keep me warm.

I glanced up at him as I stepped over a branch. A slight shudder went through me as I thought about the last time I was in the forest. I brushed it off. "Why?"

He faked a hurt look. "What? I can't get to know my own girlfriend?"

I shook my head, but couldn't help but smile at the word. "Hm… I don't know. I've never really thought about it. A wolf, maybe." I said, blushing as I thought about J.

"Really? Why?" He asked, perking up.

I looked down, letting my hair fall around my face. "Because they have a family." I replied softly.

He sighed, bringing me closer to him as he kissed my head. "You can share my family, if you'd like?" he let out a low chuckle, but his words were strained.

I laughed humorlessly. "Ha! Sure, why not? I can't talk to them, but yea, they can be my adopted family." I said sarcastically, glaring at the ground.

"A family loves you either way, darlin'. It doesn't matter. A family's love is forever. _Family_ is forever." He breathed out, his breath forming into clouds around him.

I closed my eyes tightly, forcing back tears. My foot caught on something. I cried out before his arms wrapped around my waist to keep me from falling. I sighed in relief. "Thanks. At least that wasn't my bad ankle." I frowned, looking at the make-shift cast I had made. "Josh?"

"Mhm?" he answered, looking away from me and studying the trees.

"If a family is supposed to love their children, then why don't mine?" I whispered, a part of me hoping he didn't hear me.

He sighed sadly. "Danny, I—" he cursed suddenly, glancing up as he stepped in front of me.

"What? What is it, J—" I began, gasping as I saw what he did. A huge brown bear stumbled in front of us, shaking his head as though dazed. I stepped back, catching a dead leaf underneath my heel, making the bear's head snap to up. A growl sounded through the forest, and I wasn't sure if it was the bear's, or Josh's.

A hand suddenly appeared at my stomach, pushing me back. "Go. Hide. Now." Josh said in-between his string of curse words.

"But Josh, what about—" I began, but he cut me off again.

"_Go_." He snarled.

"But Josh!" I protested.

"_Danny_. Don't argue with me. Not now. _Go_." He said, never taking his eyes off the bear. I did as I was told, slowly crouching behind a bush. The bear stood on its hind legs, sniffing the air. He locked eyes with Josh and roared, coming down on all fours and bounding towards him.

Josh cursed loudly, his hands curling by his sides.

_Don't. Scream_.

_**Hehe :3 Cliffhanger! Whoo! I love it! :D Haha. So this is defnitely NOT edited because I'm tired and lazy and mostly tired. School needs to END! Anyways, hope you enjoyed, and REVIEW! :D Chapter 15 should be up soon... I hope. If not, I'll post Iya's story up here, because it's so adorable :3**_

_**~Anni23**_


	20. Chapter 15

_**So I had this whole thing written out...and ya know what? It erases it. Ugh. Basically: every chapter in one document is up to over two hundred pages, yey, yadda yadda yadda. I don't feel like typing all that again. I've got homework. Ya know what? I posted this story up here me and my friend wrote for a class, and they took it off for not being in the right category. It was in Misc. Like, where else am I supposed to put it? Gosh. Whatever. Now I'm mad again. **_

_**Anyways, enjoy and please remember to REVIEW!**_

_**Also, I realized that I signed off Anni23 instead of Anni12 :3 whoops.**_

_**~Anni12**_

_**P.S. Chapter 16 might not be up as soon as y'all'd like because this is about as far as I've planned except for the main conflict, so I've gotta figure out how to fill the space. So, it'll be a while, but I promise I'm workin' on it. Also, my birthday's in three weeks :3 Just sayin. **_

_**...REVIEW! Por favor?**_

Chapter 15:

This was not happening. _Tell me_ this was _not_ happening!

Josh cursed once more, clenching his fists so tightly they turned white.

He ducked to the right, a light enveloping his body. I gasped quietly as my eyes widened. The light disappeared, leaving a very cross black wolf in its place. His ears were pinned to the back of his head, the fur on his back standing as he growled at the bear, showing large fangs.

My wolf.

J.

Josh.

Josh was my wolf. My wolf was Josh. They were the same.

Anger suddenly flared inside me. Why couldn't he tell me that? I had _asked_ him, and he lied to me.

The bear stumbled, surprised by his change in… _species, _but it didn't faze Josh. He darted to the right, disappearing in the forest for a split second before I saw his eyes peeking out at me. The bear stood, roaring as it looked around for him. It turned in a full circle until its back was to the wolf. Josh took the opportunity, dashing out from the trees, closing his jaws around the bear's hind legs.

It roared in anger, turning and swiping at him with a paw, but Josh easily dodged away from it. He barred his blood-stained teeth as the bear limped towards him, his legs pouring out blood.

I shivered, and I was sure it wasn't because of the cold. _Blood_. I had never seen so much. Involuntarily, a squeak escaped my lips. The wolf's head snapped towards me, worry swirling in his eyes, momentarily taking his attention off his attacker and onto me.

A moment was that was needed

The grizzly swung its massive paw again, catching Josh in the right shoulder. I clamped a hand over my mouth to keep from screaming as the force sent him flying into the tree, yelping.

I expected him to get up.

He didn't get back up.

His head flopped to the side, his eyes barely open. I began to panic, my heart racing. He couldn't be dead, could he? Werewolves were immortal… right? A faint, weak howl sounded from the wolf's muzzle. It was my fault. This couldn't be happening. If only I hadn't said anything, he wouldn't have looked at me, and he would've dodged that blow. Other, stronger howls answered him, and it suddenly dawned on me that his 'family', or _pack_, could also be wolves.

The bear stopped in its tracks, standing as it looked around for the backup, roaring. A growl came to my ears as a light blur tore through the woods, catching the bear in the stomach. It staggered back a few steps, blood staining its chestnut fur as it roared at nothing. It dropped back down on all fours as a light golden brown wolf jumped back away from it. Soon, six other wolves flanked it. One grayish-blue wolf locked eyes with me and a wave of déjà vu passed over me.

_Adam._

_He's my—nevermind. I don't want to tell you that._

The wolf was Adam. I knew. Josh's little brother. The one that had talked to me yesterday. I gulped, panic spreading through me again. So they were wolves. All of them. Adam turned back to the bear, snarling. When the bear saw the small pack, it closed its mouth, stepping back. The light wolf leapt, catching its nose in her mouth. The growling suddenly stopped as they all stared at her. It was the same wolf that had come up to me and J, well, _Josh_, in the middle of the night. The bear was confused as well, swinging its paw lightly to slap her off. She landed on her side, close to Josh, but immediately stood back up, shaking herself off and growling. The bear glanced around the family of wolves, its eyes widening slightly. It knew it wouldn't really stand a chance against all of them. The light wolf jumped at it, barking. It flinched, ultimately turning and running.

"Iya, what the _heck_ was _that_?" The voice of Josh's father said, a hint of humor hidden in it.

I glanced over in time to see a light cloak the golden wolf, disappearing and leaving a smiling Iya in its place. She laughed, glancing at him. "Levi's been watching a lot of lion documentaries on _Animal Planet_ and forcing me to watch them. They try and suffocate their prey. I thought I'd try it out." She explained. My throat closed up as my heart rate increased. Slowly, I backed away, glancing at Josh. His begging eyes stopped me in my tracks.

_Don't be scared. Please._ He whined. I stumbled, taking another step back. His eyes flashed back towards his family, growling and barking at them. They turned towards him before all of them turned towards me. I locked eyes with Iya before my hands started shaking and I turned and ran.

There had always been a part of me that didn't believe J. That didn't believe that he was really _there._ That he might just be a figment of my imagination out of my loneliness. My desperation for someone to talk to, someone to protect _me_ and take care of _me_. And now that I knew it was real—or I was just plain crazy—there was no doubt left.

Josh and his family were werewolves.

And I was on the verge of locking myself in a padded room with one of those jackets that made you hug yourself.

Suddenly the golden wolf—Iya—stood in front of me, and in the next second, the 'human' Iya was. She held her hands up as in surrender. Something cold hit my hand, and it was then I realized I was crying. I stepped back, shaking my head. "Danny, wait, just let us explain. It's not as bad as it looks. I promise." She said, taking a slow step forward.

I shook my head again. "I'm going crazy." I muttered and her eyes widened. I took a deep breath. "You know, I thought he was dead for a second." My voice cracked at the mere thought of it. "I—I thought I'd never see him again, and it was all my fault. And for a second, I was okay with him lying to me."

"No!" She cut me off and I slowly made eye contact with her, but I knew they were dead. "He wasn't lyin' ta you. None of us were."

I sighed. "I asked him. I _asked_ him if he was my wolf that kept showing up. He said no. He _lied_ to me." I closed my eyes, shaking my head. "Nevermind. He is… he is going to be alright… right?" I asked, my voice breaking.

_Okay. Okay. It's okay. Deep breaths. In. Out. In. Out. You're alright. You're alright. Everything's fine._

She waved her hand in the air as if it were nothing. "Yea, yea. He'll be fine. We heal fast. Just a couple a stiches to stop the bleedin' and he'll be fine in a few days." She locked eyes with me. "But he needs ya, Danny. He ain't gonna live with himself if he thinks he hurt ya or scared ya in any way. Please, please come back with me."

I let out a shaky breath, nodding. "Alright," I agreed. "But _don't_ expect me to speak to anyone, alright?" I growled, pointing a finger at her.

Her eyes widened and she nodded. "Of course. C'mon." she said, guiding me back towards the ranch.

Okay, so I had found out who J was. I could handle that. No more secrets. Now he could tell me all about those not…_ normal_… things. Like that pull I always felt between us, or the need to touch all the time. It would explain why he would growl an animal-like growl or why he avoided my questions so much. It explained why he was so protective of people. It explained why J wasn't there whenever Josh was. What it didn't explain was _why_ he talked to me in the first place, or why he continued to talk to me and choose me over Destiny.

"I got 'er!" Iya yelled, bringing me out of my thoughts as she dragged me into the house. A bark immediately answered her, along with multiple growls and snarls.

_Danny! Let me go! _Josh growled_. Ow! Stop! Lemme go! I have ta speak ta 'er!_ He growled, and I don't think he realized I could hear him.

"Iya, you are _not_ helpin'!" Gail growled. "Joshua! Stay still or yer gonna make it start bleedin' again!"

_No! Just lemme go!_ He snarled. I could hear it all the way from here. Iya led me into the kitchen where Josh lay on the table with all of the boys holding him down as Gail tended to his shoulders. He whined as soon as he saw me, thrashing around widely. Cormac growled as he held him down. _Ouch!_ He yelled as Gail cursed.

"Well if ya'd stop movin' around so much, I could finish this and we'd be done!" She yelled. I took a step back, my breath catching in my throat as I gazed at him. "Goodness, Josh! Just stay still for one second!"

"Iya, I need somethin' ta get 'em ta calm down. He ain't gonna listen ta me." Gail said, nodding towards the cabinets. Iya nodded, going towards him. Josh whined again, scratching at the table, gazing up at me with those bright blue eyes. As I stepped back, hurt flashed across his eyes.

Suddenly, he growled, turning his head to snap at his mother's fingers. _Ouch! What the crap was that?!_ He snarled.

She wacked him in the nose, making him recoil. "Joshua! Stop that! Calm down for one minute, alright?!" She snapped, glaring at him. His head suddenly dropped along with his eyes, his whole body relaxing.

"Haha!" Iya gave an evil laugh, holding up a syringe, an evil smirk spreading across her face. "He is _never_ gonna live that down!" She laughed, bouncing slightly. I relaxed, hardly realizing I had been scared.

"Iya…" Cormac said slowly, holding up his hands as he started towards her.

"Stand back!" She screamed, holding the needle at him.

He chuckled, shaking his head. "Calm down, Iya. There ain't no need for any violence here." He joked.

"Okay, okay, you two." Gail said, smiling and shaking her head. "Could one of ya show Danny up ta Josh's room? I don't think she needs ta see this."

Iya nodded, never taking her eyes off Cormac, and vice versa. "What would happen if I just," she lunged at Cormac, but he jumped back, growling, "poked Cormac with this?"

"I'll hold 'em back!" Coffeeblue yelled, taking Cormac's arms and pulling them behind his back. Cormac growled again, trying to free himself, but Coffeeblue would not let up.

"Perfect!" Iya said, laughing again as she set the needle down on the table, lashing out with her fingers.

"Stop!" Cormac laughed, trying his hardest to get away from them. "Help! Stop! I'm bein' attacked by two girls! Adam! Levi! Kyler! Help!"

"Gotcha!" Adam yelled as he wrapped his arms around Iya's waist, pulling her away from Cormac. Iya squealed, kicking and screaming.

"I put Hanna down for a nap, and Kyler and Levi are…what the crap is goin' on here?" Peter said as he entered the kitchen, staring at the kids. A small smile played on my lips as I studied his confused expression.

All of them froze, turning their attention to him. Cormac pouted, trying to pull away from his twin again. "Iya and Coffeeblue attacked me."

"I was just helpin'." Adam said, clearing his throat as he set Iya down. She turned, catching him in the shoulder with her fist.

"Ouch!" He exclaimed, frowning as he stepped away from her, rubbing his shoulder. "There was absolutely no reason for that."

Peter laughed, shaking his head as he walked over to Gail, wrapping his arms around her waist and laying his head on her shoulder. "How's he doin'?" He asked, a slight frown on his lips.

"He'll survive." She replied, flashing him a smile.

"Good." He said, pecking her cheek.

Iya's arms suddenly wrapped around mine, pulling me away from the sleeping wolf on the table. I glanced back at him, frowning as she led me out. "Let us go!" She sang, trying to skip down the halls, but when I didn't follow her, she stopped.

"Okay, spill." She said, her eyes narrowing as she closed Josh's door behind us.

I sighed, collapsing on the bed, staring at my hands. "I—It's just that… this whole… _wolf_ thing explains a lot, but…" I let out a shaky breath. "It still doesn't explain why he likes me. Why he talked to me on that first day. Why he kept continually trying to talk to me over and over again, even when I pushed him away. I just don't understand. Why me?" I glanced up at her, gulping.

She sighed nervously, taking the seat next to me. "I can't really answer that. That's a Josh question you'll have ta ask him when he wakes up."

My stomach turned, making me clamp a hand over my mouth. "Oh my goodness." I muttered, standing. "I think I'm gonna be sick." I said, running to the bathroom.

"Oh my gosh! Danny, are you alright?!" Iya said, following me as I emptied my stomach's contents into the toilet.

I held my hair away from my face, my whole body suddenly shaking. I shook my head, groaning. "No…" I moaned. "Could you—do you have any flu medicine?" I asked, a wave of heat passing through my body.

"Uh…Well, we, uh, we don't get sick." She replied, running her hands through her hair. I groaned. That explains why Josh didn't get sick. "So, uh, no, I don't think we do."

I tried standing, but it seems my strength had left me and I fell back down to the ground. "I need to go home." I told her, squeezing my eyes shut.

She shook her head. "Josh ain't gonna like that. Besides, you can't even stand. You can't go home. I'll go get ya medicine, alright? And I'll tell Aunt Gail that ya ain't feelin' well." She said, turning and disappearing out the door. I folded my arms, laying my head down on them.

"Oh, honey!" I jerked awake, groaning as my stomach flipped at the voice. Gail crouched down next to me, brushing my sweaty hair out of my face. "I'm sorry ya feel this way. Iya and Cormac should be back with some medicine any time now."

I lay my head back down, shivering, and closed my eyes. I just wanted to sleep. "Oh, c'mon, sweetie, let's get ya ta bed." My heart rate spiked, but my eyes didn't open as her hands appeared at my waist, helping me to stand on my feet. She led me over to the bed, where I climbed under the covers, tightening them around me. I was so cold, and yet I was sweating. Spare blankets suddenly weighed me down until I sighed contently, curling up into a ball.

"Goodnight, Danny." She said. My breath caught in my throat as I felt lips place a kiss on my temple. Is this what having a mother was like? Is this what it felt like to be cared and waited on? Whenever I had gotten sick, my father would just beat me more for not doing my chores and cooking for them. _You know, Josh,_ I thought_, I might just take you up your offer._

The snap of the door closing wakened me a little bit, and soon I was aware of another pair of lungs breathing. I opened my eyes, catching sight of a big black lump in the bed in front of me. Without thinking, I snuggled up towards him, burying my fingers in his fur and laying my head next to his. His ear flickered as my breath ran through his fur and he sighed deeply, visibly relaxing.

"And yer sure she's…" Peter's voice trailed off as I strained to hear it.

Josh growled. "Yes. I'm positive. Why wouldn't I be?" he replied.

Peter sighed. "I've heard a situations where wolves are so desperate ta find a mate that the first vulnerable girl they see, they think's their mate." He explained. I frowned, pulling the covers up to my chin. Did I really strike people as vulnerable? I wasn't vulnerable…was I? I shivered involuntarily.

Josh growled again, loudly. "I wasn't desperate. And don't call her vulnerable." He snarled. "She's very… lively… once you get ta know her. She's independent, such a flirt, actually, and beautiful. Gosh, she's so beautiful." He said, his voice softening by the end. I blushed at his compliments, biting my lip.

He laughed slightly. "Good. Now, I would go talk ta her, and please keep her from running out a here screamin', alright?"

Josh chuckled. "I'll try." He said, and soon the door opened. I opened my eyes, peeking out at him from under the blankets. I frowned as I saw his bare chest wrapped in huge white bandage centered on his shoulder. His right arm hung in a sling, his fingers curled around it, useless. "You look horrible," he laughed, smiling as he made his way over to the bed.

"I could say the same thing about you." I coughed, my eyes narrowing as another blush covered my cheeks.

He sat on the bed cross-legged, sighing. "Danny, I have ta talk ta you."

I swallowed a smart comment, sitting up. "Yea. So do I." I glanced towards the closed door, gulping.

He gazed at me, for the first time, fear swirled in his eyes. He let out a shaky breath, smoothing the sheets by him. "Do I scare you?" he whispered.

I stared at my entwined fingers. "At first you did, yes. Both times, I might add." I said, sending him a glare. "But now… I… I don't _think_ so."

He chuckled. "Good. First off, how're ya feelin'?"

I shrugged. "Better. I threw up like a thousand times last night even after your Mom got me medicine. By the way, could you thank them for me? I've never been taken care of before. It felt really nice." I said, smiling. "But I think it was just a one-day thing. Thank goodness."

He growled lowly, grinding his teeth. "I'm glad ya finally know what it's like ta finally have a mother." He sighed, frowning. "Second off, do ya have any…uh… questions?" he asked, shifting uncomfortably.

I brushed my bangs behind my ear. "Are we, uh… are we still…dating?" I asked, red painting my cheeks as I looked away.

His face fell. "Of course!" He exclaimed. He opened his arms—well… _free_ arm. "Com'ere, baby." He said, making my breath catch in my throat at the nickname. I smiled, surrendering and crawling into his lap. He wrapped his arm around me, burying his face in the crown of my hair.

"Any more questions?" he murmured.

"Why did you say you weren't J?" I asked, leaning into his shoulder and playing with his useless fingers.

He sighed. "I just… I didn't think it was the right time ta tell ya. I mean, what would ya have done if I had said yes? Honestly, what would ya have said?"

I shrugged. "I probably wouldn't have believed you. And the whole Alpha thing…?"

"I am the youth alpha, and Coffeeblue was jokin' with me then." He explained.

"When do you get the whole…uh…pack?" I asked, peering up at him.

"When my father steps down or dies." He replied. "Speakin' a the whole alpha thing… do you, uh… do ya know what mates are?"

My nose scrunched up as I thought. "I…um… think so. They're kinda like spouses for wolves, right?" I tilted my head up towards him and he took the opportunity to kiss me lightly, chuckling.

"Kinda, I guess, for _real_ wolves. My mother is my father's mate, and my father is my mother's mate. Either way it works. Wolves almost always have that one person that they're meant ta spend their whole life together with—that one person that ya can't wait to see every day right there beside ya. The person that ya love no matter what happens." He sighed happily, smiling, shaking his head. "I guess what I'm tryin' ta say is that…" He took a deep breath, but I cut him off.

I gulped. "You're my mate." I breathed.

His smile widened. "I am yours, and you are mine."

"How did you know?" I asked, biting my lip.

His eyes sparkled. "The first time I saw you, I had this overwhelmin' urge ta protect ya from anythin' and everythin'—includin' my own pack. And then ya started _talkin'_ ta me, in my head, I didn't know what the heck was happenin', but I knew I had ta protect our secret, so I left as quickly as I could. The next day, when I first saw ya in class, it was like I had just woken up for the first time, and I just…" he shrugged, smiling. "I just _knew_."

I didn't smile, but instead a long sigh escaped my lips. "And you're the alpha?" I whispered.

He eyed me strangely. "Yes," he replied. "Soon to be."

I felt my face drain of color. "I, uh, I've gotta go," my breath stuck in my throat as I slinked off his lap.

"What?" he said behind me, his arms reaching out uselessly to stop me. I leapt off the bed, snatching my stuff off the desk, but stopped briefly at the door.

Josh stared at me from his spot on the sheets, his mouth forming a circle. Still, he hadn't moved, and was frozen in shock. "I have ta go," I whispered before turning and rushing down the stairs.

"Wait!" Josh called. "Danny, please!"

I ignored him, and my breath began coming in short, shallow gasps. I was the alpha's _mate_. I would be the _alpha female._ I couldn't do that! I didn't have the power to do that! No one would ever take me seriously!

How was I supposed to protect a whole pack? I couldn't even protect myself.

A hand suddenly grabbed my arm; the arm that grasped the doorknob. "Danny, wait." Josh said, exasperated, spinning me around to face him. He released my arm and instead trapped me in between his arms—well, arm and shoulder. I backed against the door as he leaned in closely. He was still bare-chested save for the bandage around his shoulder. "I can't let ya leave, Danny. I won't let ya go home."

My heart was pounding in my chest, my vision tunneling. My head was spinning and my legs shaking. I blinked, trying to clear my vision, trying to keep my mind from wavering. But I was no longer with Josh; I was somewhere far away. I don't know how long we stood there like that, but Josh soon realized something was wrong.

I flinched as his fingers brushed my face. A scream rose in my throat, but never escaped. "Danny?" he whispered. "Danny, are you alright?"

I couldn't breathe.

I couldn't see.

My mind was traveling back into the past. I felt _his_ breath on my skin, _his_ fingers wrapped around my wrists. I felt his rough lips on my mine, my muscles aching in agony.

"Danny!" Josh called from somewhere in the distance. But I was gone. I was long gone.

Suddenly I was being shaken. I was pulled from the past as fast as I had entered it. Soon, I saw Josh's wide eyes staring down at me, swarming with worry. "What happened?" I asked, looking back at him.

His shoulders relaxed and he sighed. "I'd like ta know the same thing."

"I—I—I hav-hav…" I began, but my voice was lost.

He shook his head. "I won't let ya go back ta _him_, Danny."

My mouth moved, but no sound came out.

"Did I do somethin'? Did I say somethin' wrong?" He asked. "We were perfectly fine a minute ago."

I shook my head. "I…I can't be alpha female," I breathed.

He laughed breathlessly. "Why do ya think that?"

"I'm not strong enough," I said, shaking my head. "I'm not pretty enough—I'm not smart enough. I'm not even a wolf!"

He laughed again, shaking his head in disbelief. His hands cupped my face, his thumbs stroking my skin. "Who ever said that?"

I looked down, closing my eyes. "Everyone I've ever known."

"Not me," he argued. "I think you're perfect fer the position. You might not see it, but I do. You are strong, even if ya don't realize it. You are beautiful, although that's not really needed ta be alpha female—helpful, but not needed. You _are_ smart, Danny. I can't believe ya don't see that." He drew his eyebrows together, tilting his head to the side.

He was lying. I knew he was lying. But I so badly wanted to believe him.

"I can't," I argued. "I can't."

"But—"

I shook my head, grabbing the doorknob. "I have to go now." I pulled it open only to be stopped my Josh once again.

"At least let me drive ya," he said. "Please."

I shook my head. "I don't want… _that_… to happen again."

He stepped away from me, his fists clenched tightly. He growled loudly, grinding his teeth together. I jumped slightly at the sound. He had never growled so loudly around me before. "Danny, I can't let ya go back!" he said, turning quickly and engulfing me in a hug.

I gasped sharply. Well, now I guess I knew why he cared so much. It was odd, thinking that someone actually cared about me. "I have to," I said.

"Danny," he said breathlessly. "I physically cannot let ya go. I can't deliberately put you in harm's way."

"The sooner I go, the better." I answered, a blush rising into my cheeks as well as a smile.

His arms only tightened. "You don't understand."

"Understand what?"

He pulled away, taking my face in his hands again. "What I feel for ya. How much it hurts just with the thought of you bein' harmed, at the_ thought_ of another man touchin' ya."

Once again I felt my face go pale. I wiggled out of his grip. "I have to go. I'm sorry." I left him there, standing in the doorway in shock once again.

_I didn't even get a goodbye kiss_. J's (well Josh's now, I guess,) voice echoed in my head. They sounded so… _different._ But it had to be Josh.

I jumped, looking over my shoulder to see the front door closed. I could still see his pouting face. I could only gasp. _Josh._

His laugh sounded. _You'll tell me if anythin' happens, right?_

I paused, sighing. _Why? You can't do anything, anyways._

_Your lack of faith in me hurts, darlin'. You'd be surprised at what I can do._

My breath caught in my throat. _But you're hurt. I… I don't know if I'm ready to see you…shift…again._

He sighed, and I could tell my words actually hurt him. _You're right. I'm sorry. I've never told anyone before. I've never had ta wait fer someone ta get… _used_ ta it. The whole wolf thing is normal in my family. _

_I guess I'm a part of that now, huh?_

_Definitely. _He laughed. _I can let ya in on every secret, and every conversation._

_Should I be flattered?_

He chuckled again. _Yes, _he replied. _Very much so. You are the first human who's been let inta the pack._

I gasped lowly. _I'm a part of the _pack_? _I asked breathlessly.

_…of course. Why would ya think otherwise?_

_It just didn't cross my mind. _I paused, letting it sink in. _I'm a part of a _werewolf_ pack._

_Yes, _he said simply, a bit of amusement hidden in his voice. _Ou—my pack._

_Is that what Adam meant? _I asked as I walked.

Josh paused, and I felt his anger in my chest. _What da ya mean? What did he tell ya?_

I bit my lip. _He said that whoever finds _her_, which I'm guessing is another word for 'mate', gets power over the pack._

Josh growled lowly. _Well, technically, yes, he's right. The first son a the alpha that finds his mate is heir ta the position. Normally, it's the oldest, and Adam's always wan'ed ta be Alpha, but he is younger than me. And no one else's found _her_ yet. _

_So he's jealous?_

_Basically, _Josh agreed. _He's just tryin' ta scare ya off. And he'll probably try ta do it again._

I grinned to myself, chuckling. _Ya can't get rid a me that easily, _I said, imitating his accent.

His deep laugh reached my ears. _Why would I want to?_

I was about to reply with a smart comment when the house came into view. My breath caught in my throat; my father's truck was parked in the driveway, right next to Destiny's Mustang. _Danny? _Josh asked, questioning my sudden silence with worry laced in his voice. _Danny?!_ Desperation seeped into his tone.

_I'll…talk to you later. _I squeaked, clutching my books close to my chest as I forced myself to keep walking.

_Wait, Danny, please, no—_I cut him off.

_Don't come, Josh. _I said, imagining my wall going up around my mind.

It suddenly dawned on me, the way thoughts often do. Today was Thanksgiving.

But for me, there was no big feast, there was no family gathering, but there was only one thing to be thankful for. Josh.

The knob burned my hand as I grabbed it, taking a deep breath. I pushed it open ever so slightly, holding my breath. The sounds of laughter, drinking, and poker chips greeted me. Five men were seated around the coffee table, a set of poker chips and cards lain out. Bottles of beer accompanied each man, and one was gripped in the hands of my drunken father.

He stood, swaying slightly, his nostrils flared, and eyes glazed over with something more than anger. He made his way over the others, tripping more than once and spilling beer on the floor. I gulped, closed the door, and tightened my jaw as he came to stand in front of me. He stumbled, pushing my shoulder to steady him, my books falling out of my hands. "Whhheerre hhave yoouu beeeeenn, yooouu liitttlleee bbbb****?"

I took a deep breath and lifted my chin a little bit higher. He scowled, his hand coming up. I braced myself for the slap, but black dots interrupted my vision as I heard glass shatter on the side of my head. I yelled out in pain, my hand coming up to my ear as I fell to the ground.

Laughter sounded. "Yea Grant!" I heard. "Show her whose boss!"

A sharp pain erupted in my stomach. I cried out again involuntarily, wrapping my arms around my waist. "Daddy!" A shrill voice shrieked. "Daddy, stop! Please, her head is already bleeding!"

Again, his foot connected with my side. "Daddy, you're gonna kill her! Stop!"

The men 'oohed'. "Grant, getting bossed around by his daughter _and_ left by his wife." They all laughed their drunken, idiotic laugh.

Everything froze. "_Get out_," my father growled, his words completely clear. I kept my eyes closed, my body curled up in a ball. I heard them get up, muttering profanities over and over. Things crashed, peopled yelled, and one of them kicked the small of my back. I yelped, flinching away.

"_Out!_'" My father all but yelled, slamming the door after them. He sighed angrily. "Get her out of here before I change my mind."

I felt Destiny grab me underneath my arms, helping me up. My head spun, and I could just barely open my eyes. She draped her arm underneath me, guiding me up the stairs and into my bathroom. She set me down on the toilet and took out a rag. My eyes closed and I leaned up against the back. I felt a hot rag press against my head.

The world began spinning around and around, and upside down, and then entirely black.

:::::

The whole left side of my head throbbed. I groaned, lifting my hand, but someone else held me back. "Ah, ah, ah," they said, pulling my hand anyway from my face.

My eyes fluttered open to meet those beautiful blue eyes frowning down at me. I furrowed my eyebrows, the tips of my mouth tilting downward. "Josh," I mumbled. "What are you doi—" I gasped, sitting up. The blood rushed from my head, my vision blurring.

Josh pushed me down gently, sighing. "Don't worry," he said. "Your father's at work. He got called in fer an emergency. You've been out fer a couple a hours."

I sighed, rubbing the non-injured side of my face. "What time is it? Why are you here?"

He sat on the edge of my bed, his free hand intertwining with mine. "It's about five o'clock." He replied.

"Why are you here?" I repeated.

"Destiny called me," he said. "She didn't know what ta do."

I sat up slightly, leaning back against my pillows. "Why would she do that?"

He shrugged. "You were bleedin'… a lot."

"Why would she call you?" I asked, pursing my lips.

He shrugged again. "I don't know. I am yer _boyfriend_."

I felt blood rise to my cheeks. Why I still blushed at that word, I didn't know. "I mean, out of everyone, even the hospital, or a doctor, why you?"

He looked down before looking away. "My uncle's a doctor," he said, as if that explained everything. "You have a minor concussion, and a few cuts, but other than that, yer fine."

I knew very well why she didn't call the hospital. She knew that if she did, they would ask questions, and sooner or later, we'd be taken away from _him_. Before, I had been too scared to say anything, but now I had a reason to stay in this forsaken town. "Is it bad?" I blew out, exasperated, lifting my hands to run my fingers down the side of my face. He was right, but there were more than a few cuts.

"Compared ta what?" he growled suddenly. "Compared ta all the other injuries _he's_ given ya?"

"Can we not?" I whispered, ducking my head to stare at my hands in my lap. "I only have another year left. Just one year."

He grounded his teeth together. "It only takes a couple hits ta…" he looked away, unable to finish the sentence.

I looked up at him, tears forming in my eyes. "What else can I do?" I breathed, shaking my head. "I need to finish high school…"

"You need ta get _out_ a here." He said forcefully.

I looked away, the tears now rolling down my face. "I need you, too, Josh."

His shoulders dropped, his face clearing of anger. "I'm sorry," he whispered, reaching out to wrap his arm around me. "I need you, too."

_But we're only seventeen. _I thought. _How can I be sure? How do you know what love is?_

_How do I know if Adam's wrong? That Josh isn't just using me?_

I smiled, pulling away from him, but letting my fingers linger in his hair. "Yer dad's pullin' in the driveway," he sighed, carefully wiping the tears from my cheeks. "Just stay up here—"

"Do _not_ call him my _dad_," I snapped, my jaw clenching. "He is anything _but. _He is my biological _father_, but he is not _Dad_."

His eyes widened, and then he smiled. "No," he said, "yer right. He's not."

"I'm sorry," I blushed. "Maybe if we just stayed up here, and were really quiet…"

He shook his head and sighed. "I wish it were that easy." He said, getting up, placing a soft kiss on my forehead. "I've got ta go. Tell me if he even _threatens_ ta hurt ya, alright?"

I looked down shamefully, frowning.

"_Danny_," he said, making me shiver.

I nodded. "I will," I agreed.

But we both knew that wasn't going to happen.


	21. Chapter 16

_**Sorry that it took so long! You guys are so amazing for being so patient ^.^ I've been... a little stuck... and busy (summer, ya know?) so I finally forced myself to sit down and write, so it's probably not that good. Hopefully the next one will be better. Enjoy! Love you guys!**_

Chapter 16:

These days, whenever the front door opened, I feared for my life. It had never been this bad. I was used to the neglect, and the abuse. But ever since my mother left us, it's gotten so much worse. He wakes up in a bad mood, he goes to work in a bad mood, he comes home in a bad mood, and he goes to bed in a bad mood. And when my father's in a bad mood, his temper shortens. He angers easily, and he takes it out—on me.

The lock turned, clicked, opened.

I sucked in a breath.

But there was nothing. No yelling. No screaming. Nothing shattering. There was only grumbling and the groan of the couch.

I stayed frozen, hardly breathing until the soft sounds of snoring drifted up. I sighed, standing up from the bed, gripping the bedpost as the blood rushed down from my head. After the feeling passed, I made my way down the stairs, shaking my head silently as I caught sight of him passed out on the couch, a half empty bottle of beer hanging from his hand.

Tentatively, I made my way over to him, slipping the bottle from his hold. He stirred, snoring louder. "Georgia…" he moaned, turning on his side towards the back of the couch.

Something caught in my throat.

"Did he just…" Destiny choked from behind me. "Did he just say Mom's name?"

I nodded without turning, speechless.

"Well," She scoffed. "At least we know he's _capable_."

Still in shock, I breathed, "Of _what_?"

"Of _love_," she growled, "useless piece of s***!"

I turned as she came up next to me, her right foot behind her. "No, Destiny!" I whispered furiously, stepping in front of her and placing my hands on her shoulders. Her eyes were blazing, darkened with purple rings. The underneath of her jaw was an ugly yellow and the skin around her nose was a fading black. I gasped. "What happened?"

Her eyes met mine, widening slightly as if she just realized I was speaking to her. "While you were gone," she breathed, "Grant was drunk and angry—about Mom, I guess…"

"Oh, so it's Grant now? Not _Daddy_ anymore?" I stepped away from her, holding back a scowl.

She pursed her lips, glancing away. "Look, Danny," she said calmly. "Things are different, alright? Mom's gone. She was, like, Grant's rock, and he's losing it. I get how you feel now, okay? I understand."

"You think you _understand?_" I snapped, interrupting her. "You think you know what it's _like _being _abused_ every day? You think you _understand_ walking the halls by yourself, getting laughed at because you don't wear what's 'in style' to cover up your bruises? You think you know what it's _like_ to be made fun of at school _and_ at home? _No_, Destiny, I don't think you _understand_ me. You don't understand me _at all._"

Her eyes narrowed. "I've got a reputation to uphold at school, you little b****." Her expression softened. "But, look, Danny… at home, we got to have each other's backs. But at school… I don't know you, alright?"

I rolled my eyes, turning away from her. "Whatever, Destiny." I turned back around. "Just one thing. _Don't _tell him about me and Josh, okay? I don't care if you're jealous, or mad, or upset or whatever. He _cannot_ know. He'd kill me."

She shrugged. "Whatever," she replied, "but it's not my fault if Josh changes his mind." She whipped around and disappeared outside the front door.

I couldn't be in this house any longer. I turned and fled out of the back door towards the abandoned shed in the yard. Frustrated tears gathered in my eyes as I leaned my forehead on the shed. "You can come out now," I growled, turning and sliding down the wall.

I closed my eyes, clenching my jaw until I felt him fall beside me. His uninjured fingers slid in with mine. I leaned over, laying my head on his shoulder. "I will _never_ change my mind," His breathed as his thumb rubbed soft patterns on my skin.

"Who says you won't?" I breathed, keeping my eyes closed. "Who says you won't get tired of me, or decide I'm not worth the trouble? Or—"

He took my chin in his fingers and turned towards me, forcing me off his shoulder to look him in the eye. As he opened his mouth to speak, a cool liquid seeped into my hair. I gasped, closing my eyes as it dripped down my face. My face heated in embarrassment and I heard Josh growl lowly. As soon as I smelled it, I knew it was beer. Josh pulled me up harshly and pushed me behind him.

_Josh,_ I thought harshly towards him. _Don't._

Grant swayed on his drunken feet and placed a hand on the corner of the shed. Josh's fist clenched by his side—his left, uninjured hand. Grant cursed at me, pointing the dripping, empty bottle. "You little w****," he growled. He was obviously drunk, but he was sobering. He focused his attention on Josh. "And you sssson of a b—"

Josh hardly moved as Grant's fist caught the underside of his jaw. _Please tell me,_ he growled, _that he did _not_ just call me that _and_ punch me._

_And I can't even punch 'em back. _Josh snarled. "If ya think I'm sleepin' with yer _daughter_, yer sadly mistaken." Josh said to him, his jaw clenched as tightly as I've ever seen it. From behind him, I could see his shoulders trembling slightly and the vein in his neck popping.

I blushed deeply as Grant laughed, throwing his head back and stumbling backwards. "Ssssso sssshe'sss not worthhhh it?"

Josh paled. "I didn't say that."

"I dddon't care iffff you're ssssleeping withhh hhhher," Grant waved his hand in the air. "I dddon't waaant you ppplanting _ideassss_ into hhher hheaaaad."

Grant leaned forward, reaching out a hand towards me. Josh's hand shot up, grabbing him at the wrist. "_Don't_ touch her." He growled violently, pushing Grant back. He stumbled, falling back.

_Josh!_ I said, trying to push past him.

He held out his arm to stop me, shaking his head. _He will _not_ touch ya again. Not while I'm around. _I glanced over his shoulder, digging my nails into his skin. He didn't flinch.

Grant lay on his back, staring up at the sky. _You didn't hurt him, did you? _I asked frantically, but there was no way I would fight him. Even if he was right-handed, his weaker arm was still stronger than me.

_Why_, Josh asked, glancing at me from the corner of his eye, _do you care?_

_Because… _I shot him a glare, _if he goes, I go. _

Josh paled again. Grant suddenly sat up, rubbing his head, dazed. "Assssault on an offfficerrr…" he mumbled, laying back down on the grass and closing his eyes.

Josh and I stared at him, his chest moving up and down. Both of us jumped when he snored loudly.

"Assault on an officer?" I choked as Josh dropped his arm.

He shook his head. "Nah," he said. "Yer…_father's_ off duty."

"Oh," I breathed. "That makes sense."

He suddenly turned to me with his nose scrunched up. "You stink," he noted, pulling his face away slightly.

I narrowed my eyes and then smiled. "Aw," I said. "You wanna kiss?"

As I leaned in with my lips puckered, he smiled. "Maybe just one…" When his lips were centimeters from mine, he pulled away, shaking his head.

"Ya smell like beer," he said. "You should probably go take a show'r."

I pursed my lips. "Then a kiss?"

The sparkle in his eyes gave me an answer without words. I sighed, pulling away from him. I touched my fingers to the top of my head and scowled. "I'm sorry," I breathed. "That was, um…"

"Embarrassin'? Humiliatin'? Awful?" He suggested, giving me that million dollar smile.

I glared at him. "I'm takin' a shower," I mumbled, beginning towards the house.

"If it 'elps, yer beautiful even with the beer in yer 'air?" He said, but it sounded like a question as he jogged to catch up; both of us ignored Grant sleeping on the lawn.

_You're funny_. I thought as I pushed open the door.

"Ya know… uh…" Josh stammered as he followed after me. "Ya seem like ya change emotions, uh… very quick-like."

I shot him a look. "Did you just say 'quick-like'?" I asked, laughing as I turned the corner up the stairs.

"_What_?" Josh scoffed. "Uh, no."

"Oh, so you accuse me of havin' overactive hormones?" I laughed to myself as I pushed open my door.

"No!" He said immediately. "I, uh, um…"

I smiled at him. "You…uh…um." I cleared my throat and retreated to my dresser in search of clothes. "When you grow up like I did, you…uh… learn how to hide your emotions… even from yourself."

Josh fell down on my bed. "That's awful," he mumbled.

"Maybe," I shrugged, pulling the clothes to my chest.

"Are ya alright?" he asked as I started towards the bathroom. "Yer head, I mean. Yer not dizzy or anythin'?"

As I shook my head, the left side began pounding. "Maybe a headache," I replied. "I'll be fine."

"But, Danny…" he began.

I turned, taking the door in my hand. "I've got beer in my hair, remember?" I said, closing myself inside the bathroom.

I heard him grumble something on the other side, but the sound of the running water drowned out the words as I turned it on. After locking the door, I stripped out of my clothes and stepped into the shower. The rushing of the hot water over my skin was somehow comforting. But the thought that Josh was just in the next room got under my skin and itched deep underneath. For the first time, I showered and dried off quickly. I put on my clothes and scrubbed my hair, parting it before opening the door.

Josh sat up as I came out, drying my hair with the towel. "Do I smell better?" I smirked, strolling towards him.

"A course," he smiled. "Like vanilla honey."

I raised an eyebrow and then found myself laughing. "That's what it says on the bottle."

"I guess I owe ya that kiss now, don't I?" he stood, wrapping his free arm around my waist.

I stood on my toes to wind my arms around his neck. "What a good little wolf," I cooed as he leaned down to touch our foreheads.

He chortled, shaking his head. "Glad ta know yer gettin' used ta it."

"Just kiss me, wolf boy," I said.

"Oh," he said, his eyes sparkling. "So I get permission now?"

"Yes," I whined, pouting.

Before I could get another word out, his mouth was on mine and his hand came up to tangle in my hair. My arms kept around his neck, standing on my toes just to reach him. "Yer 'air's wet," he murmured against my lips.

"So a werewolf _and _Captain Obvious," I chuckled. "That's impressive."

He growled lowly before his fingers began dancing across my waist, pulling a delightful scream from my throat. A fit of giggles followed as I tried to twist away from him. "What was that?" he asked. "What'd ya call me?"

I screamed again, laughing as I tried to get away from him. "Stop, Josh!" I screamed.

"Apolagize!" he demanded, continuing to tickle my waist.

"Okay! Okay!" I caved, twisting away from him as he finally let me go. "I'm sorry I'm just smarter than you."

His eyes narrowed playfully. "I _know_ ya didn't just call me stupid."

I shook my head, smirking. "No, I just said I'm smarter than _you_."

"Oh, no ya didn't," he growled, lunging for me. I screamed again, turning to run as he caught me around the waist. His lips grazed my neck. "Take it back."

I gasped lowly, instinctively tilting my head to give him full access. "Never," I breathed.

He didn't answer, but instead his lips continued to leave a trail of kisses down to my shoulder. The contact made my vision swarm and focus on the sparks lighting my skin.

As soon as I closed them, visions began popping up in front of my eyes. My breath caught and my eyes flew open. My heart rate spiked; I could hear my pulse in my ears. Before I could do or say anything, Josh groaned to himself and stepped away from me. "How 'bout I brush yer hair?" he asked nervously.

I swallowed the feelings bubbling up inside my stomach and turned around with my eyebrow raised. "You want to… brush… my hair?" I asked, giving him a confused look.

"Uh," he blushed and glanced away. "Coffeeblue says that her perfect guy would brush 'er 'air fer 'er, so…"

"Aw!" I chuckled. "You wanna be my _perfect_ guy?"

He pursed his lips and looked away. After a moment he laughed uneasily, looking back at me. "Why not?"

"Sure," I giggled, grabbing my brush off the dresser and handing it to him. "I find it soothing anyways."

"This isn't weird?" he asked lightly, moving to sit on the bed.

I sat in front of him and turned away from him. "Nope," I said. "Coffeeblue's right. A girl has so many things to do, who has time to brush her hair?"

"Right…" he trailed off and I soon felt the brush glide through my hair.

"Ya got any plans tomorrow?" he asked suddenly.

I sighed, leaning back against him. "Do I ever?"

"Imma take that as a no," he said. "Would ya go ta dinner with me?"

"Are you askin' me on a date, Josh?" I asked, leaning my head back and turning towards him.

His arm wrapped around my waist, the brush forgotten. "Well, ya are my girlfriend."

"Okay," I agreed. "How's that search for a job goin'? Gotta have money to eat."

"Not necessarily," he said lowly, chuckling to himself. "But the General Store is hirin'. I thought I'd check it out."

Suddenly his phone rang before I could respond. He groaned, pulling it out of his pocket and putting it to his ear. "Hello?"

Faintly, I could hear a male voice on the other line, but couldn't make out the words.

"But, Dad, I—" He sighed irritably as the other voice interrupted him.

"Why couldn't you just—" he paused. "Alright. Fine. I'll be there in a minute."

I heard the _click_ and his arm returned around my waist. "Levi's beginnin' ta shift," he sighed.

I turned towards him. "What do you mean?"

"Around his age is the first shift." He explained. I gasped as he picked me up by my waist and stood. He put me down and moved around me.

"It's a very painful process," he flinched. "The whole family's gotta be there."

I grabbed his hand. "Can I come?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Ya wanna watch Levi shift?" he laughed in disbelief. "Really?"

"Sure," I shrugged.

He frowned. "Alright. I just hope Dad'll be alright with ya comin'."

"How could he not? I'm lovable." I smiled up at him innocently, blinking.

"Ain't that the truth," he muttered. "Window or door?"

My smile turned into a glare. "Door, of course!"

"Alright," He shrugged and started downstairs, pulling me along after him. "We gotta get there quick."

"Wait, so…" I began as soon as he opened the door. "If Levi hasn't… shifted… yet… then which one of you did I trip over?"

"That was Levi," he nodded, opening the door to his truck. "It's very complicated."

I furrowed my eyebrows as I buckled in and he got into the driver's seat. "What? I… I don't understand…"

He started the car and began to back out. "Like I said, it's complicated."

"Explain it to me!" I whined.

He sighed and then chuckled. "The alpha has certain… abilities… over his pack members. And one of 'em is that they're able ta make the younger members shift along with the rest a the pack."

"Oh," I said, rolling my lips.

"But now, after this I mean, he'll be able ta shift on his own."

I found myself chewing on my lips as I digested the information. "Huh."

"And it _hurts_," he said, grimacing to himself. "So the kid's gonna be in a lot a pain."

"Is it worth it?" I asked, glancing at him.

He shot me a knowing smile. "Definitely," he replied, winking.

"Once ya shift," he explained, the smile lingering on his lips. "Yer able ta find yer mate."

"What if your mate's been around you your whole life? Like, you see them every day, ya know?" I asked.

He bit his lip slightly. "Well…" he said. "That's what happened with my parents. They were best friends their whole lives, and on his fourteenth birthday, my dad realized she was his mate. And on her fourteenth birthday, she realized it too. They've been together ever since."

"That's adorable," I said.

He laughed deeply, but didn't say anything. Biting my lip, I asked, "So are you going to, uh, tell me about…uh… why, uh, how this relationship is so different? Other than the whole wolf, thing, a course."

"I will," he flashed me a crocked smile. "At dinner tomorrow. Ya can ask me anything ya want."

"Okay," I smirked, biting the inside of my cheek. "I'll be sure to write 'em down."

He laughed, shaking his head, but as we pulled onto the road where he lived, Josh's eyes got wide and he pressed the gas pedal to the floor. I furrowed my eyebrows at him, but as we pulled into his driveway, I knew. Levi's screams could be heard even from inside the truck, and both of us jumped out of the vehicle. Josh made a dash for the back yard, and I followed him as fast as I could. I stopped at the corner of the house, watching the scene that unfolded.

The family formed a horseshoe around the eight-year-old, where the opening faced the woods. They all stood near the barn, using the fence that kept the horses in as the other side of the hoseshoe. Josh tried to break through the line, but Cormac and Adam held him back. He fought, but the boys pinned him still.

"Josh," Peter said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Calm down."

There was something different in his voice. A note of authority hung underneath it, and Josh immediately relaxed and the boys released him. "_Dad_," Josh said, his voice thick. "It's never been this bad. I could hear 'em from down the street! Ya gotta do somethin'!"

"Calm down, son." Peter said calmly and glanced towards Levi. "I know he's yer younger brother, but he's also my _son_, Joshua. I know how ya feel. Ya just gotta let it happen."

Levi screamed again, and Josh visibly flinched. I stood on my tip toes, but couldn't see over their heads. "_How_?" his voice broke on the word.

"Think about the others—their first shifts. Remember yers. That feelin' when you first feel _yer_ paws in the grass. That feelin'—that freedom that _you_ can change whenever _you_ want. It'll help fer when ya have children. When yer mate—" he suddenly cut off and I glanced over to find his blue eyes narrowing in my direction.

"_Joshua_," he growled, grinding his teeth together. "_What_ is she _doing _here?"

Josh glanced towards me, his face white. "She wanted ta come. I couldn't tell 'er no."

"I think ya best take 'er home, Joshua." He said, his voice thick with suppressed anger.

To my surprise, Josh shook his head. "I'm not leavin' Levi."

At that moment, Levi screamed loudly, and I heard a gasp. "Peter!" Gail yelled, her voice laced with tears. "Peter!"

Peter glanced at Josh one last time before going to his wife's side, taking her by the waist. Josh gestured for me and I went to him, taking his hand. Up closer, I could see Levi lying on the ground in a ball, broken in the middle of the enclosing the family provided. He lay, shaking as a light slowly enveloped him. Josh's hand tightened on mine to the point where it throbbed. I blinked and suddenly a dark gray wolf lay in his place. A large brown wolf strolled up to him, pressing his muzzle to Levi's coat.

Levi stirred, but didn't make a move to get up. Soon, another wolf joined the brown one, its coat a light bluish gray. I glanced over to see that Gail and Peter were gone. I looked back to the wolves and deemed the brown one Peter and the other, smaller wolf Gail. She pressed her nose underneath Levi and pushed upward. He suddenly jumped up, glancing around. Josh's hand fell from mine and I looked down to see J beside me. One by one the Millers were engulfed in bright lights and left wolves in their place.

In Adam's place stood the dark bluish grey wolf that had attacked me earlier in the year.

In Iya's place stood the light golden brown wolf that had interrupted us in the wood.

In Coffeeblue's place stood a light red wolf that I hadn't seen before.

In Cormac's place stood a light brown wolf that was slightly larger than his twin's.

In Kyler's place stood a smaller dark gray wolf with a coat that had a blue tint.

Two other wolves stood near the twins; one large with a light brown coat, and one slightly smaller and a dark red coat. With a jolt I realized these were Josh's aunt and uncle.

Levi stood and turned towards his parents, his tongue rolling out in a grin. Peter lifted his head back and howled lowly. The rest of the pack did the same, and soon their voices sung a harmony in the night air. Slowly the song died, and Levi took off into the woods. Josh stepped forward, limping on his injured shoulder as the rest of the family ran after him. Peter glanced at him, shaking his head once before disappearing into the foliage. Josh looked at me, turned back into his human form and intertwined our fingers.

"Well?" he asked, pulling me closer.

I blinked at him. "Uh… wow." I said. "Where'd they all go?"

"Fer a run," he nodded towards the trees. "Ta celebrate."

Someone cleared their throat behind me. "Not all of 'em," a female voice said.

"_Mom_," Josh whined, groaning.

I turned, blushing deeply.

"What?" Gail laughed, fluffing up her hair. "I gotta watch Hanna. I ain't gonna leave 'er, even if she's sleepin'."

"_Mom_," Josh repeated.

Gail glanced between us. "You better get 'er home, Josh. Before Peter comes back and gets on ya somethin' fierce."

"He'll get me anyways," Josh sighed. "Even if Danny ain't 'ere."

I opened my mouth to say something, but as soon as Gail's eyes flickered to me, my throat clamped. _I'm sorry_, I thought to Josh.

He sighed. _It ain't yer fault, darlin'. _

"I'll take 'er home, Ma." He said, pulling me back towards the truck.

"Alright," Gail called behind us. "See ya later, sweetie!"

Josh rolled his eyes and sighed irritably, walking quickly to his car.

"Are you gonna get in trouble because of me?" I whispered to him as he opened the passenger door.

He smiled weakly. "Probably," he admitted. "But don't worry 'bout it."

"But, Josh—" I said, but he had already shut the door and was walking around the hood of the car.

"Besides," he said as he climbed in. "He'll probably just give me a talkin' to. Nothin' that I haven't faced before."

"Ju—just let me talk to him, or—or blame me—" I stuttered, shaking my head.

"_Danny_," Josh said, shrugging. "Calm down, okay? It's really not that big a deal."

I gulped. "Are you sure?"

He waved his hand in the air before returning it to the wheel. "A course. I'm the 'alpha-in-trainin' as he calls it. Gotta be ready fer anythin'."

I scrubbed down the last of the dishes and glanced hastily at the clock—again. I dried the plate and put it up, running my hands over the towel. I ran upstairs and threw open my closet. Stepping back, I studied its contents. The morning light from the window floated in, highlighting the clothing.

My stomach knotted when I saw nothing that I could wear. I stepped forward and flipped through the hangers. I glanced in the mirror above the dresser and sighed, wishing that Coffeeblue or Iya were here; I needed help. This wasn't something I had done before. The only date I had ever been on was the picnic with Josh, but that wasn't _dinner_.

A bad idea suddenly popped into my mind. But it was the only thing I had.`

Reluctantly, I made my way downstairs, stopping outside the door. Slowly, I lifted my fist and knocked once. I bit my lip as I waited, shifting my weight from foot to foot uneasily. The door suddenly flew open. "What?" she asked.

"I, uh, need help…" I admitted, glancing down at my feet.

She raised a perfectly trimmed eyebrow and scoffed. "With what?"

"I have a date," I explained, smiling sheepishly.

"Why do you need _my_ help?" she laughed.

I frowned. "I don't know what to wear! My hair is a mess, and I've never been on a _date_ like this before!"

She sighed, flinging her phone onto her bed. "Alright then. First things first; where are you going?"

"I don't really know," I replied. "A restaurant?"

She rolled her eyes and rested against the doorframe. "What kind of restaurant?"

"He didn't tell me," I shrugged.

"Well," she said, slipping past me and heading for my room. "It's better to dress up than down."

"But what if we go somewhere shabby? Like a coffee shop or something?" I asked, following her up the stairs.

She waved her hand in the air. "No. Josh doesn't drink coffee."

"How do you know that?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows.

"Uh…" she stuttered. "He told me."

_More like turned you down for a date, _I thought, but didn't say anything. I sat on my bed as she rummaged through my closet. She pulled something out, studied it and then tossed it aside. She did this rapidly until she gave up and turned to me.

"You have nothing," she scoffed. "How are you even my sister?" she threw her hands up and spun around, leaving the door wide open after she had left. I sighed, running my hands through my hair before falling back onto the bed. I hated to say it, but I couldn't do this without Destiny. She knew about guys, and I… didn't.

"Okay," she said suddenly. "I've got a couple that I think'll look good on you."

I sat up to see Destiny holding three dresses by their hangers. "Personally, I like this one, and I haven't even worn it yet." She held up a short blue dress with ruffles around the chest. It was simple, yet pretty. "Besides, it's more you."

I shrugged. "Okay," I said. "I'll have to wear an undershirt underneath, though."

She tossed it to me. "Go put it on, then."

I caught it and dug in the dresser for a black undershirt before retreating to the bathroom. I put it on and straightened it out. I opened the bathroom door to find my sister standing right outside it. She studied me with a blank face, her arms crossed over her chest. "Nice," she said, smiling. "Now take it off and go shower." She handed me a bundle of garments.

My mouth dropped. "What?" I whined. "But I just…"

"Go," she rolled her eyes. "You wanna look good for… him?"

Something struck me about her sentence, but I sighed in defeat and closed the door. I took off the dress neatly and hung it back on its hanger and put it on the hook on the door. Flinging the shower curtain open, I stepped in.

After I was done and dried off, I bundled my hair in the towel and slipped the dress back on. Stepping out, I found that the other dresses were gone and Destiny held a hair drier in her hand and a curling iron lay on the dresser. A chair was positioned in front of the mirror with her standing behind it. She smiled and gestured to it. "Sit."

"You're going to curl my hair?" I asked, strolling towards her.

"Of course," she said. "It looked really good at the dance, so I figured, why not? Add my own little touch to it."

I shrugged. "Alright."

"This might take a while," she said as I sat down. "Your hair is quite thick. And drying it is always a pain."

"He's picking me up at six," I said, biting my lip.

"I can get it done by then," she said before turning on the drier.

It took about half an hour to dry my hair completely, and as soon as she did, she plucked the curling iron from the dresser. She first ran a brush through my hair before taking a piece by my face and wrapping it around the wand. "How did you and Josh get together anyways?" she asked suddenly.

I shrugged lightly. "I'm not really sure," I replied. "It just happened, I guess."

"Well, you two are all everyone can talk about." She said rather bitterly.

I drew my eyebrows together. "Why?"

"Because," she shrugged. "The new kid and well, the 'mute kid'. You know Sunset."

"Am I really known as the 'mute kid'?" I asked, frowning.

"Well," she said. "Yea. Ever since you quit talking."

I scoffed. "I wonder who started that."

"Who else?" Destiny said.

"Jake," we said at the same time.

I sighed, rolling my eyes. "I should've known. Jake always has it out for me."

"Actually," she said. "I think he's kinda got a thing for you."

"_What_?" I laughed crossly.

She laughed softly. "You know in elementary school? That saying that when a boy was mean to you, that means he likes you?"

I nodded, raising my eyebrow.

"I don't think Jake ever got over that phase."

"You cannot be serious!" I exclaimed.

She giggled. "He likes to keep up that 'bad boy' image, so he can't be caught crushing on a non-pop, you know? That's why he's suck a jerk to you."

"Non-pop?" I asked cautiously.

"You know," she answered. "The non-populars. Geeks. Nerds. Goths."

"Mutes?" I scoffed.

From the mirror, I saw her press her lips together. It was a while before she answered. "Yea."

I shrugged it off; I knew I wasn't popular. It was no new news to me. "Why do you think Jake… _likes_ _me_?"

"He always brings you up in our conversations," she shook her head. "But I don't think he really knows how to show it. He's never _really_ liked a girl before."

"But what about you?" I furrowed my eyebrows and rolled my lips.

She shrugged. "We're nothing serious," she admitted. "He's probably only dating me to get closer to you."

"I don't understand," I said, sighing and leaning back in the chair. "Why would Jake have a crush on _me_?"

"You're actually quite pretty, Danny."

I frowned and glanced down at my feet. _As long as Josh thinks so, _I thought. _Then I guess I do too._

_**Sorry it's shorter, but I wanted their date to start the next chapter, so I had to end it here because I didn't know what else to write. Anyways, REVIEW s'il vous plaît, por favor, bitte, per favore, PLEASE! The next chapter might be up soon, but I give no promises. I'm stuck basically until the next big event, so... It's gonna take a while. Seriously. Review. Please.**_

_**~Anni12**_

_**P.S. If I decided to totally rewrite Forgotten, for those of you who read it before, would you guys read it? It might take some time if I do decide to, though, I gotta warn ya. And for those of you who haven't read it, it was pretty popular, but I think it would be a whole lot better know. And it would actually be about VAMPIRES! Gasp. A story of mine in the right category. It's a miracle. They would all have the same names, same characters, maybe a few added. I think I'd probably change the plot a little, but I've already written a little, and so far it's really good and WAY better than the original. Well, anyways, review or message me and give me your two cents worth.**_


	22. Questions

_**Hey, guys! So 1) I only for a few reviews :( sadness. 2) I got a review that gave me an idea. Questions. So you all know that Danny is goin to ask Josh about the whole wolf thing. and I was thinking, since I haven't written it yet, you guys can come up with the questions. So review or pm some questions about something you want to know, and I'll try to fit it in. Pretty cool, huh? Please give me some questions! **_

_**~Anni12 **_


	23. Questions2

_**K, so, sorry. This ain't that chapter. BUT, I am half-way done :3 Hopefully I'll get it done by Sunday afternoon, or it'll have ta wait a week. I won't have access to the internet at all next week because I'm going ta Girl's Camp! Whoo! Fun. lol. Anyways, so I got to include all of y'alls questions for Josh in this chapter, but it came short. So, now it's Josh's turn! So, you know the drill. Review or pm me what you want Josh to ask Danny (please have them make sense. There were some I wasn't so sure about last time... lol). But remember, Danny might not answer some of the more personal questions, but Josh'll ask 'em. Thanks. Love ya guys.**_

_**~Anni12**_


	24. Josh's POV Chapt 1 cont

_**Yey! So, this isn't Chapter 17, obviously, but I figured you guys would like Josh's POV just as much, if not better (; And it looks like chapter 17 will have to wait until next week, because I've got softball all weekend. Hopefully we'll win the tournament, and I've got to read these stupid books for school. Why can't they pick good books? Seriously? Ones actually **_**school appropriate****_, please? Sorry, I'm ranting. Oh well. Anyways, this is a continuation of chapter 1 in Josh's POV. Honestly, I like Josh's view much better, at least in the beginning. I've got to go back and rewrite the beginning of IAWAV, but I still don't feel like it. That's post-story work. After I finish. Take things out, add things, fix mistakes. Whatver. ANYWAYS, man, I can talk. Welcome to my train of thought, I guess._**

**_Enjoy, review. See you guys next week-hopefully. I've got about two thousand words or so more. Oh, and if you guys want me to post Coffeeblue's story, which is kinda short and no where near finished, I will post what I've got. You guys'll understand after you read chapter 17. Anyways, REVIEW pllleaasseee. I looovvveee yooooooou._**

**_~Anni12_**

I couldn't sleep. I couldn't think about anyone else but her. Her hair, her eyes, both the same milky brown. Her lips, forming a perfect O as they parted. Her long, slender fingers as they curled in the dirt. Her smell wafting off of her in waves—I couldn't get it out of my head. The way her fingers ran through my fur, the electricity that ran through my skin.

So I went back.

I snuck out to go back to that spot.

Now, I held her notebook in my hands, staring down at it. My fingers flitted through the paper, and I caught bits of writing.

"Josh," Iya's voice startled me, and I hid the notebook back under my mattress. "C'mon! We gotta go!"

I grumbled under my breath, but my heart started up like it did when I thought of her. Maybe she went to the same school. Maybe I had classes with her. A shiver ran through me. I hoped so.

"Alright!" I called down to my cousin. "I'm comin'!"

I grabbed my binder and started downstairs. A tiny hand grabbed mine, and I looked down to find Hanna beside me. "Joshywa, where y'all goin'?" she asked in that sweet little voice.

"I gotta go ta school, picnic. You know that." I replied, squeezing her hand.

"Alwight," she sighed. "I be waitin' for wa."

I ruffled her hair, smiling. "Bye, picnic. Love you."

"Wuv wa too, Joshywa." She said as I rushed out the door after Iya.

She was waiting by the front door of the SUV, smiling widely. "Can I drive?"

I rolled my eyes. "No," I said automatically, reaching behind her to pull the door open.

"Bu…"

"_No,_" I said.

She sighed angrily. "Can I at least sit up front?"

"But _I_ wanna sit up front!" Levi whined as he ran out of the house, his backpack thumping against him. "Josh, that's no _fair_!"

I flashed a glare at Iya. "You are so _childish_," I growled.

"I wanna sit up front!" Levi whined, stamping his foot on the ground behind me.

I squeezed the bridge of my nose. "_Fine_, Levi." I snarled.

He made a squealing sound and ran to the other side of the car. Iya groaned and slammed the door shut. I rolled my eyes again before slipping into the driver's seat.

"I'm nervous. Are you nervous? I mean, I've never been the new kid. Have you been the new kid, Josh? No, a course not, you've always fitted in with everyone. Always the popular kid…"

Iya went on and on for the whole ride. At some point, Levi and I stopped listening, and he was glad to get out when I dropped him off. Still, she went on, wishing Levi good luck, and I zoned out again.

That's when I saw her. The car lurched forward as I slammed on brakes, earning the blare of horns. She walked across the parking lot, her head down, staring at the ground. I sighed wistfully, involuntarily.

Iya leaned forward in-between the seats and eventually climbed into the passengers seat. "That _her_?"

I would've shot a glare at her, but I was too mesmerized by her. The way she walked, the way her hair fell down past her shoulder blades; _everything_. "Yes," I breathed.

Iya nodded in approval. "She's cute."

Now I did shoot her a look. "She's _mine_."

She rolled her eyes. "Move the car."

I found the closest parking space and pulled in.

I had always thought that the whole _mate_ thing was overrated. I always thought they exaggerated. The tightening of the chest, the erratic beat of the heart. The _need_ to protect Her, the urge to touch Her. There was no exaggeration. In fact, there was no way to explain it; theirs did it no justice. I jumped out, almost forgetting my stuff. I needed to talk to her, to see her eyes show whatever emotion she felt.

"Hi," a new, unfamiliar voice said as a girl appeared in front of me. Before, I had noticed every possible girl I could, but now…

She was skinny, probably a little too skinny. She had sharp features, and her lips poked out and shined with newly applied lip gloss. Her large brown eyes were surrounded by eyeliner and mascara. Her hair was forced into curls and was a highlighted blond. "Hi," I said, trying to get around her before a voice echoed in my head.

_My notebook! No! This could not be happening! I cannot lose my notebook! _Everything_ was in there._ I realized she didn't know I could hear her. A smile etched itself on my lips before I could stop it.

_Lookin' for somethin'? _I asked. The girl in front of me said something, but I didn't hear her. I didn't _want_ to hear her. I only caught one word; Destiny.

_What_? _I thought you weren't talking to me anymore. _Her voice changed, like she didn't want me to hear her. _I feel like an idiot._

_Hey, don't feel stupid ._I said, making my way around Destiny, or whatever her name was, only to be met with more people. Still, I couldn't stop talking to her. People were talking, but I wasn't listening. _This is new ta me too. Besides, I got bored, _I said, deciding it was kind of the truth, _and I started hearin' yer thoughts this mornin'._

She gasped sharply, and someone said something to me. "Josh," I answered, but I still wasn't listening to anyone but _her_. _What?! When?! _She shrieked, worry beginning to seep into her voice. _I don't want you listening to my thoughts. _

I was about to reply when she said something else. _You_, she said accusingly. _I forgot my notebook when I met you! I tripped over the pup and it flew away from me!_

Levi. I laughed, and apparently at the right time, because every else began laughing. _Oh, that's what that was? _I said, deciding to play stupid. In her eyes, I was nothing but a wolf, after all. A wolf that could speak to her in her mind. _That's yours? I only started hearin' yer thoughts when ya started lookin' fer somethin'—yer notebook, I guess. I don't know how or why we can do this, since yer not a wolf. I'll have ta ask my father if maybe you can block me out… _I frowned, and then clenched my jaw, forcing a smile as I remembered my surroundings. _You don't enjoy our conversations?_

"I, um, have ta get ta class," I said, edging around everyone to make my way towards my first period: History.

_Well no, I mean yes—I mean… argh, I _do_ but I have private thoughts that I don't want other people knowing. And, obviously, you're _not_ a _normal_ wolf, because you know English._

I smirked, glad that I had found such a wonderful mate. _Smart girl_, I said.

Her voice dipped into a low whisper. _Are you being sarcastic…?_

I bit my lip to keep from frowning; a couple of the girls had insisted on showing me to class. I vaguely wondered how Iya and the twins were doing. _What? _I scoffed. _Naw, a course not. Yer very smart. Not a lot of humans woulda come ta that conclusion. Most would just think they're crazy._

_I am definitely not like other humans. _She responded immediately.

_Mhm…_ Did she really not speak to other people? Not even a bit? _If ya know I'm not a normal wolf... then whadda ya think I am?_

_I don't know… that's when I start to think I am just a bit crazy. _

I laughed, cutting off one of the girl's sentences, and they stared at me. I ignored them, flashing a forced smile. _So I'm guessin' ya didn't ferget me?_

_I tried, I promise. Last night I began to think it was just a dream, but you ruined it this morning._

_Well, _I said, laughing internally. _But, really, it would be better if ya fergot about me and my pack. _I didn't want her to forget about me, in truth. But this way, I could at least tell the alpha that I tried. Mates could hardly be kept apart for very long—even when one is dead.

Now I understood why.

_I can't forget now, with you talking to me in my thoughts!_

_Right. _I smiled sheepishly. _Sorry. I'll get ta class… have a nice day, Danny. Try ta maybe block me from yer thoughts—fer practice. _

_It's what I do best, _she sighed. Suddenly, her thoughts were cut off from me, leaving a void that could not be filled. But, somehow, I knew she was still there. As soon as I stepped into the classroom, it went quiet, and all eyes turned towards me. My heart constricted as I caught sight of her, and our eyes locked. Once again, her mouth parted open. My face twisted into a scowl as I felt a unfamiliar hand press into mine, but I couldn't tear my eyes away from _her_.

"Girls," I said lowly, warningly, as I wrung my hand out of hers—whoever it was. Danny looked down at the table sheepishly.

My jaw clenched, and I pushed past the girls, towards the table in the back; the only empty seat in the room. "Hello," I choked out, hoping it sounded somewhat smooth, as I sunk into the chair beside her. She glanced up at me as soon as I spoke, her eyes widening. I heard her swallow harshly, her brown eyes staring up at me almost in… fear?

"Mr. Miller," another voice said, drawing my attention away from her to the teacher. I couldn't focus on anyone or anything. Not with her sitting there, not even an inch from me. Was I the only one that felt the electricity surging between us?

"Joshua," I corrected immediately, more for her sake than his. "My name is Joshua." Instinctively, I glanced at her.

The teacher nodded, leaning forwards on the table, supporting his weight with his hands. "Well, Joshua, this is Danny." _I know that, leave us alone. _"She doesn't speak much, and she's terribly shy, so you probably won't get a word out of her. Try all you like, but she only nods or shakes her head. But of course, no one knows why." He shrugged carelessly.

I nodded, turning my gaze to her. "I wonder why," the words slipped from my mouth without my permission.

He had already left, without even telling me his name. I turned back to Danny, smiling. "I prefer ta be called Josh; it's what all my family calls me."

She smiled shyly, and nodded meekly.

I had to keep talking, or else she would lose interest. I wanted her attention. For some odd reason, I wanted her full attention, and I wanted her eyes on me. "And ya like bein' called Danny? That yer real name?"

Her whole face lit up as she nodded. Her smile grew, drawing my eyes to her lips. Once again, the words slipped out: "You have a beautiful smile."

She recoiled, her smile dying as quickly as it had come. I frowned, thinking, _idiot, idiot, idiot. Why would you _say_ that?!_ I leaned forward on the desk, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw her jump. My heart picked up speed and I narrowed my eyes, not trusting my mouth to say the right words. She blushed, returning her gaze to the paper in front of her.

She stared intently as the teacher, whatever his name was, as he began teaching about the Civil War. I fidgeted, trying to pay attention to what he was saying, but my mind was more focused on the electricity pinching my skin, and her skin less than a foot away. I caught bits and pieces of his lesson; _Gettysburg, Lee, Chamberlain._ But I couldn't focus. I could hardly tell what I was seeing, with her _right there._ And I couldn't touch her. I couldn't take her into my arms and kiss her worries away. But I could talk to her. I could build our relationship, even if it might have been one sided. I could learn to read her words through her eyes, through her smile. Like I could see her interest in the subject he was teaching in her expression.

I leaned in, lowering my voice to a whisper. "You like history?"

She glanced at me, her eyes wide. She hesitated before shrugging.

A girl at the table in front of us heard me and turned. Her face twisted into a scowl at Danny, but when she turned to me, she smiled and gave a little wave. My heart clenched at a sudden thought that ran through my mind. I turned my attention back to my mate. "Do you _have_ any friends, Danny?" She blushed at my question, looking down and giving a slight shake of her head.

A part of me was getting impatient with the fact that she didn't speak to me, but a greater part wanted to _earn_ her voice. I wondered if anyone else had heard her. "Did you speak?" I asked, biting the inside of my cheek. She sighed sadly and nodded, as if those days were full of bad memories. As she winced, the corner of her sleeve lifted up, exposing a part of a large bruise. My heart and jaw clamped, and I couldn't keep my hands from lashing out to pull up her sleeves. Five long thin bruises ran across her arm—almost in the shape of _fingers_. Anger flared inside me, and I fought to keep it in check. If someone was _hurting_ her…

"What happened?" I asked, my voice tight as I furrowed my eyebrows and looked at her.

Everything changed in that moment. Her eyes glazed over, staring at me blankly. She began trembling, and a soft whimper escaped her throat. I relaxed my hold on her, my eyes widening in shock. What was happening? Was she alright? _Please let go of me_. I could hardly hear her thought, but I immediately released her, returning my hands to my side of the table. I kept silent, staring at her.

But not for long. _Danny! Are you alright?_ I yelled, and added quietly, _Did someone hurt you?_

_I-I'm… f-fin-e. _She stuttered, fear dripping in her voice. She turned away from me, gasping lowly over and over again.

This time I couldn't keep the anger out of my voice when I demanded, _Tell me who hurt you, Danny. _

_I-I… I can't do that, _she said. _I ne-need something t-to call you._

I knew she need to change the subject, to get her mind off of whatever it was on, but I didn't want to let it go. But I would. I would try. For her. _ Depends on what ya think I am. _I sighed. _I _really_ wish ya'd tell me who hurt ya, Danny._

She took a deep breath, her eyes returning to her normal color and she gazed up at the front. But I couldn't keep my eyes off her. Who had hurt her? Was it intentional? Or was it an accident?_ I really wish I could too. _She replied, her words striking something inside me. Why couldn't she? Was she afraid? Of what? Of who? _But I don't even know why you care so much._

_I do_, I thought to myself, but I couldn't let her know about us. She already had a huge clue. She had seen me—_us_ in our wolf form. _Neither do I, _I lied. _Ugh, fine, Danny. But, seriously, what _do_ ya think I am? _I had to know if she had suspicions, in case Alpha asked.

_Well…a wolf that knows English, can speak it well, _acts_ human… werewolf makes sense, but that's impossible. I think… you aren't a werewolf, are you? Please tell me I'm not crazy._

I chuckled to myself lightly. But a thought suddenly occurred to me, and I frowned. She wasn't stuttering anymore. She wasn't shaking. She wasn't afraid. _Ya seem ta bounce back from fear very fast. _I noticed. _Almost like… ya experience a lot._

_You didn't answer my question. _She said, dodging my statement.

I sighed internally. _Fine. Yes, I'm werewolf. _I said, figuring it wasn't going to hurt anything. She was going to come to that assumption anyway. What else would I be? She didn't know that 'wolf' was me. Not yet. Not until I was sure she felt the same way that I felt about her. _And, no, ya ain't crazy. _

_Maybe a little, _I added to myself, _but not in the way ya think._

Her form began shaking and she lay her head down on the table. I stared at her in confusion. This one was going to be hard to understand. _Does that mean you have a human form too? _She squeaked, her breathing sharpening.

I held back a whimper at the sight of her. _Yes I do, _I said. I didn't like seeing her like this. _I don't use it much, since we still act like a wolf when we are human. But these days, it's the only way we can live comfortably. _I lied, somewhat.

_We?_

_My pack and I._

_Your pack?_

_Yes, _I said, smiling, my_ pack. I am the alpha. You know about wolves?_

_Yes, but… _she paused. _Aren't you a little young to be alpha of an entire pack?_

I turned defensive; Cormac _always_ bothered me about that. _I'm almost eighteen. Besides, I'm not the alpha of an _entire_ pack. Only the youth pack. As soon as one a us starts shiftin', they officially belong ta my pack and not my father's. Eventually, we'll move up as the older generation begins ta die out and become the elder pack. It's all very complicated when ya haven't grown up with it._

_Uh… okay? _She said confusedly.

_See? _I laughed. _Very complicated._

_Who are you in human form? _She asked suddenly.

I flinched. _I can't tell ya that._

_Why not?_ She whined.

_If it gets out that werewolves live amongst humans… it wouldn't be pretty. _At least, that's what Alpha had told us.

_Word War III? _She snickered.

I agreed completely. _Exactly. _

_And if I guess?_ She asked, somewhat excitedly.

I ground my teeth together. Did she have to press? Should I be flattered that she wanted to know me so badly? Still, I had to follow Alpha Law. It was in my blood. _I couldn't answer correctly, _I answered honestly, _it's that much of a secret. Sucks really, but it's needed. But it you ask me, and tell me when you're certain, _out loud_, then I promise I will answer truthfully. I swear._

Ha. Dad would just have to compromise. _He_ never had to tell his mate he was a _wolf_. Let alone the fact that she didn't speak.

_Out loud?_ She squeaked, fear lacing her quiet voice.

Was I scaring her? I didn't want to scare her. _Ya gotta come out a yer shell sometime, Danny._

_You don't understand! _She replied immediately. _I don't speak just because I'm shy! _Please.

Oh, don't use that voice! She was getting under my skin, _already_. Cormac would be livid once he noticed. _Then why don't you speak? _I _had_ to know. I wanted to know if I could resolve it, hear her beautiful voice again and again. And I would never get tired of it. I would never tire of _her_.

Slowly, softly, she whispered, _That's my problem._

I whined softly. _Why can't it be mine too?_

_Because you wouldn't understand! _She snapped. _No one would. It's _my_ life. Not yours. Let me handle it. I don't even know your name; I still don't even know what to call you!_

I would. I knew I would understand; I would _force_ myself to understand her. But she sounded like she needed someone to rant to, to listen to her problems with no judgment. _Are ya done, or do ya still need to fume ta someone that'll actually listen? _I asked sincerely, feeling a bit sorry for her. But pity wouldn't do anything for her.

_I'm done, _she mumbled, and I noticed she tilted her head down slightly.

My heart went out to her, and she held it in her hands unknowingly. _Really, _I said. _I'm here if ya need me. _I was still just a 'wolf'. I wasn't a real person; heck, I might just be a voice in her head, an imagination, a trick of the mind.

Her cheeks turned red, making my heart thud. Oh, I was _so_ whipped.

_I still don't know what to call you…_

I fought the urge to take her in my arms. _Er…_ I said, pushing the thought of my lips on her skin out of my head. _Alpha? Wolf? I don't know._

_I kinda like Wolf… _she said, _makes you seem like the big bad wolf in an old fairy tale that everyone's afraid of, but I think I'll stick with my wolf._

Now _that_ had a ring to it. _Her_ wolf. _Hers. _I was hers, even if she didn't know it yet, and would always be hers. I couldn't believe how much one person could change someone so much—change _me_. _So I'm your wolf? _I chuckled.

_Yes, _she growled. _And don't you dare say otherwise or I swear I'll burst out crying right now. You're the only person I've had a real conversation with for almost two and a half years._

_Fine, okay. I'm _your _wolf. _I scoffed, but turned it into laugh at the last moment. _Whatever makes ya happy's fine by me._

_Will I ever see you in your human form? _She asked suddenly, without warning.

I swallowed an ironic laugh. If she only knew… _Like I said, yer a smart girl… figure it out._

_And when I do? _She asked, and I thought I caught a bit of delight in there somewhere.

I began to shrug, but stopped myself, recovering by rolling my shoulders back and leaning against the chair. _I have no idea. _My phone slide silently out of my back pocket, sparking an idea in me. So she was comfortable with my wolf side… she needed to be comfortable with my human side too. I leaned forward slightly, tilting my head towards her to inhale her scent. _Vanilla. _I _loved_ vanilla. "Hey, Danny," I whispered, "do ya text?"

She jolted slightly and I pulled away to give her space as she turned towards me. She blinked once or twice before shrugging. Pulling a handy sharpie out of my pocket, I held out my hands. "May I see yer hand?" I asked, my heart pounding in my chest. I had given a lot of girls a lot of different numbers, but she was different. This time I'd actually give my real phone number.

She blinked again, hesitation flashing across her perfect features before she placed her hand in mine. I smiled, tightening my grip slightly just to increase the electricity. I glanced up at her as I slowly wrote the numbers on her skin, savoring her touch. "Text me—or call me if ya finally wanna talk—anytime." I winked.

She blushed again, making the corner of my lip pull up. She nodded, pulling her hand away, her nails brushing my palm. I shivered.

_I just got someone's number… _she breathed unbelievingly. _A guy's number! _

She squealed. She literally squealed internally, showing nothing but a smile on the outside.

I swallowed a laugh, but instead returned to my seat. _Ya might want ta block me out again. _I said jokingly. _I don't think ya wanted me ta hear that._

_Hey… that's so not fair! _

I couldn't hold a laugh back, but I kept it in my mind. How had I ended up with this girl? I knew so little about her, but yet, I felt like I've known her my entire life.

_Do you go to this school, Wolf? _She laughed. _Sounds weird, doesn't it?_

She could call me whatever she wanted, but I knew enough about women to agree with them. _Just a little bit. _I joined in with her pretty little laugh. _But, yea, I do._

_Yes! That narrows it down even more._

_Sure, okay. _Why she wanted to find out so bad baffled me, but a part of me wanted her to find out. _Good luck, Danny. Don't forget to text Joshua…_


	25. Chapter 17

_**Ummmm, sooooo... This is so not edited. At. All. Like, spell check, that's about it. But, I'm tired, and I felt like I had to get this up for you guys because I love you guys. But that didn't mean I have to read it over again haha. I have no idea when the next chapter's goinna be up since school's starting soon and I've totally procrastinated, so. Anyways... goodnight.**_

_**Oh, review, please, cuz I love you. And the more reviews this get, the faster the next chapter will be up.**_

_**~Anni12**_

Chapter 17

After a wax, pedicure, make-up, and a lesson of walking in heels, I was finally ready. Destiny fluffed up my curls, spraying a little more hairspray. "There," she smiled. "All set."

I reached up to feel the bump that held my bangs back. "Thanks, Destiny." I said.

"No problem," she shrugged. "It's what I do best."

I glanced out the window and gasped. "He's here! I gotta go!" As fast as I could, I wobbled over to the door on iffy heels. I opened the door, flashing one last smile at Destiny before stepping out of the house and shutting it closed behind me. I grasped the clutch purse she had let me borrow and waited at the edge of the steps. But Josh was frozen at the hood of his pick-up, staring opened mouth. I found myself laughing as I flitted down the steps, smiling ear to ear.

I stopped in front of him, twirling. "Do you like it?" I asked, stumbling as the world spun before me.

"Wow," he breathed, and I soon felt the pressure of his hand on my upper arm. The spinning settled just as he pulled me to him, lowering his head.

I turned just at the right moment so that his lips pressed against my cheek. I couldn't suppress the giggle as I smiled. "Ah, ah, ah," I teased. "No kissing on the first date."

"Danny," he growled, his mouth skimming my skin to rest at the corner of my mouth. "This ain't our first date."

"I'm not counting the picnic," I smirked. "So let's just pretend, shall we?"

His lips grazed my jaw, a whine escaping from his throat. "But babe…" he said, his voice dipping low, husky.

"Joshua!" I scolded. "I'm hungry! Let's go eat!"

He pulled back, frowning, but his eyes were dark. "Alright," he sighed, turning towards his car.

"Besides, I gotta lot of questions for ya," I smirked, veering away from him to open the passenger door.

He frowned at me. "I was gonna do that."

"What?" I raised an eyebrow. "Open my door?"

"Yes," he whined. "It's polite."

I smiled at him. "Aw, I got a gentleman!" I joked, sliding in the seat. He winked at me as he opened the door, but said nothing as he got in. As he started the car awkwardly with his left hand, I found myself studying him. The way his jaw clenched as he glared at the steering wheel for its difficulties. The way his expression softened as he caught my gaze and winked again, his lips widening in a smile. His injured arm rested against his chest and he repositioned his blue tie to line up with the buttons on his white collared shirt. A black suit jacket hung on his broad shoulders, matching the same color and fabric of his pants. His chin was freshly shaven, which made me sigh inwardly.

"So," I said, leaning towards him. "Question number one—"

He shook his head, flashing me a grin. "Ah, ah, ah," he mocked. "We ain't on our _date_ yet."

I pursed my lips, glaring harshly at him. "Fine," I snapped, never letting up my gaze. "What about your dad? What happened?"

"Gave me a talkin' to," he shrugged. "'Bout how I needed ta be careful or somethin'. He said I needed ta stay away from ya fer awhile."

I gasped softly as he scoffed. "So you're not supposed to be here—with me?"

He glanced from side to side before turning, never looking at me, but he shrugged again. "Nope," he said. "But Alpha knows ya can't keep a wolf away from his mate just like ya can't keep moths away from light."

"Why would he want you to stay away from me?" I asked softly, looking down at my hands.

He frowned, his jaw clenching and relaxing as he answered, "Because ya just found out about us. The alpha's always gotta be careful; keep the protection a the pack his first priority. It ain't nothin' personal, babe. Alpha's job."

"Still," I sighed. "You should go. I don't want you to get in trouble."

He growled deeply, making me jump slightly. "Sorry," he said, glancing at me, his voice hard. "But you need ta stop underestimating yerself, Danny. If I get yelled at, so be it. I'd take it just to spend a _minute_ with you. You—"

"Stop," I cut him off as tears prickled my eyes. I looked up at the cars ceiling, blinking to keep them in. "You're gonna make me cry and mess up my make-up."

He chuckled. "Well, don't do that."

Once I was sure I wouldn't cry over his words, I shot him a glare and immediately changed the subject. "So you know what Destiny told me today—"

"You talked ta _Destiny_?" Josh said suddenly, glancing at me with wide eyes.

I blushed and looked away. "Yea," I admitted. "I needed help getting ready."

His fingers flitted nervously on the wheel. "Huh. So what'd she say ta ya?"

"She said that Jake…" I paused, biting my lip. "That Jake _liked_ me."

His growl deepened this time, lower, darker, and it vibrated the truck. He slammed on the brakes at a stop sign, and I gasped, putting my hands out so I didn't slam into the dash. Both of his hands had curled into fists at his chest and around the wheel. He closed his eyes, his jaw tightening and untightening. Finally, after he'd composed himself, he said, "No," but his voice was still hard, bitter.

He turned his gaze to me, where his eyes softened visibly. "_No_," he said again, firmer.

"Chill, Josh," I whispered. "I don't like him. How could I ever like someone who…"

I trailed off, not able to finish the sentence.

"Who threatened to _rape_ you?" he snarled, turning to glare daggers out the windshield.

I flinched, pursing my lips together and closing my eyes. My breathing deepened and my hands begun to shake. _C-can we j-just go?_ I thought to him, not trusting my voice to speak.

_I would never let that happen, sweetheart. _Josh said. _I—_

_Josh, _I squeaked. _Please?_

"Alright…" he said, and then the car lurched forward.

_You didn't, _I thought, putting the wall up around my mind so I could think to myself. But it wasn't his fault, I knew that. It was mine. I should've said something. I should've stood up for myself.

Josh clicked on the radio, rupturing my train of thought. "So, um," Josh cleared his throat. "Destiny thinks Jake… likes… ya? And they're datin'?"

I shrugged. "Yea," I breathed. "That's what I thought. She said they were just a 'fling' or somethin', though."

"Where did she get that idea?"

"It makes sense," I snapped, turning to him. "Why he's so rude to me."

He raised an eyebrow. "I like ya and I ain't rude ta ya."

My breath caught in my throat. That was the first time he had ever actually _said_ that he was interested in me. "Remember in elementary school?" I gulped.

"About what?"

"Well, you're a guy, so…" I shook my head. "When a boy is mean to a girl, she's told that he likes her. At least that's what Destiny thinks."

"I don't like it." His voice turned harsh again.

I sighed. "I don't like him."

His grip tightened on the wheel. "He ain't gettin' near ya again."

"As long as Destiny don't 'get near ya' either." I smiled at him, satisfied as his eyes sparkled.

"Agreed," he said. "Oh, there's somethin' I gotta tell ya."

I raised an eyebrow as he chuckled. "Oh?"

His mood lightened as the subject shifted from Jake. "Ya remember how Coffeeblue had that… date?"

"Yea?" I replied. "With that guy… Owen?"

"Uh-huh," he nodded, the corner of his lips ticking up. "Well she went, amazingly, with 'em last night to dinner."

"And?"

He smiled mischievously. "No, ya gotta guess."

I groaned, crossing my arms over my chest. "Just tell me, Josh."

"Nah, ya gotta guess."

"_Josh!"_ I whined.

He scoffed. "Fine. She… met someone there."

"Are you sayin' what I think you're sayin'?" I asked, suddenly interested as I leaned towards him.

"Uh-huh." Stopping at a light, he leaned over quickly to touch our lips before I had time to pull away. He laughed before turning his attention to the road, winking.

"Hey!" I pursed my lips, glaring playfully at him.

He snickered at me. "She brought him home last night. Name's Tannar."

"And they met… on a date… with someone else?"

"Yea," he shrugged. "He was the waiter, though."

"That's funny."

"Ain't it?"

I laughed at the image. "And Cormac didn't tear him apart?"

Josh shot me a serious look, but his eyes were still joking. "Coffeeblue woulda killed 'em if he even _thought_ about touchin' Tannar. He wasn't even allowed to shake his hand."

I chuckled. "And Tannar… he's a…?"

"He's a wolf," Josh confirmed, nodding.

"And what about his pack? Will he take Coffeeblue back with him?" I frowned.

Josh shook his head. "Tannar ain't gotta pack. Well, at least, he didn't. He and his father are part a ours now."

"But what if he did? What would happen?"

"Well," Josh thought for a moment. "It kinda depends on the situation—we ain't supposed ta talk about this until our date!" he shot me a glare, as if it were my fault.

I turned a pouting face at him, widening my eyes. "But Josh…" I said, my voice sweet as honey. "Please… I wanna know…"

He growled lowly, groaning as well. "Fine." He said, giving me another glare. "Like I said, it depends on the situation. They'd have three choice; the guy's pack, the girl's pack, or they could start their own. But ya have ta have Alpha Blood in ya ta do that."

"Don't everyone in your family have… Alpha Blood, though?" I asked.

He shrugged. "I guess, if ya think about it. But some more than others. Like I have more Alpha Blood in me than Cormac does, even though he _is_ older than me. Which is part a the reason he's been actin' the way he has."

"Jealous?"

"Yeah," Josh said. "He's mad because I found you before he found his mate. Statistically, he shoulda already found 'er, but it wouldn'ta made a difference. Cormac isn't the one that wants ta be Alpha; Adam is."

I pursed my lips, glancing out the window. _"You probably don't believe me, do ya?" A small smile played on his lips. "Well, ya should. Ya see, the first one a us that finds _her_ gets control. That's all he wants. Is control a the p—family. And with you, he has that. That's the whole reason he's playin' all lovey dovey and crap. Power. Control._

_"He doesn't love _you_." He shook his head in disbelief._

Adam's words came back to me all in a rush. I _wanted_ to believe that Josh… _loved_… me, but Adam made more sense. _All he wants is control of the pack._ That was what Adam meant. Josh only wanted to be Alpha. That didn't mean he had to _love_ me. He just had to _have_ me. But then again… Josh hadn't done anything to prove he was only using me. He was so sweet, and kind. If being used was so much better than my _real life_, I could handle it. I would trust Josh until he gave me a reason not to. Nothing more, nothing less. Still…

"And what about you?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me. "Do you really wanna be… Alpha?"

He shot me a look, his eyes wide. "A course!" he exclaimed. "I was _raised_ to become Alpha. There were no _ifs_, it was always _when_. '_When_ ya become Alpha'. '_When_ ya take control a the pack'. I never had a chance to say no. The only possibility that I couldn't was if Adam or Levi found their mate first, and if Dad had died for some reason, it would still be _me_ in line fer the position."

"That doesn't answer my question," I shook my head. "Do _you_ wanna be Alpha? Not your dad. Not Adam or Cormac, or even your mom. _You._"

"If I had a choice…" He frowned. "Probably not. It's a lot of responsibility. Honestly, Imma little scared. If I mess up, it doesn't just affect me, it affects everyone—my family. But I can't back out now. The only thing ta do is embrace it, ya know? Be ready fer it. And I've got you.

"I'll be okay as long as I have you," he smiled, an emotion flashing through his eyes before turning away that I didn't get a chance to decipher it. Still, the comment made me blush deeply.

_So Adam was wrong. _I thought to myself. _Josh doesn't really wanna be Alpha. _Did that also mean that he was wrong about him using me? That he was wrong about him not loving me? Of course, it would make sense that Josh didn't love me. No one else had ever loved me before. Why would that all change now? And if Josh _wasn't_ a werewolf or I _weren't_ his mate, would I still have found him? Would I have found _anyone_?

Would I even be _alive_?

Josh cleared his throat, laughing nervously. "We're here, darlin'."

I glanced out the window to see Josh had parked in front of a casual yet fancy restaurant. "Yay!" I exclaimed. "I get ta start my questions!"

"Quietly," Josh added, looking behind the car before opening the door. "And don't ya dare open that door! That's my job!"

I snickered, my hand lingering on the handle as he glared at me from the street. "Don't make me come in there and _climb _over ya ta open it."

My eyes widened and I took my hand off the door. "Yes sir," I squeaked.

He smiled victoriously, winking at me before closing the door. A minute later, my door finally opened and Josh held out his hand for me to take. I did and he helped me step out of the large truck. "Ya know I wouldn'ta really done that, right?" he laughed as he intertwined our fingers and led us towards the building.

I glared at him. "That was not nice, mister!" I growled. "And definitely _not_ a good start to a first date."

"Not a first date," he mumbled under his breath, but I still caught it.

"Would you rather not have a date at all?" I threatened.

"Yes ma'am," he yelped. "First date. This is definitely our first date."

I laughed, squeezing his hand. "Good boy!"

He shot me a glare. "No dog references."

"Or what?"

"Or I'll kiss ya on our 'first date'."

A challenge flickered in his eyes. "Go ahead," I accepted. "I'll bite you."

His eyes widened as he remembered the last time I had done that. "I can still handle _'a little nip'._" He teased, winking at me.

I groaned, hiding my face with my free hand. "Sometimes I really hate you."

"Sometimes," he confirmed. "But not most a the time."

"That might change, wolf boy." I said. "Don't get all arrogant on me again."

"Again?" he asked, placing a hand over his heart to feign hurt. "I am not arrogant."

I scoffed. "Not _just_ arrogant," I corrected, beginning to say something else before someone interrupted me.

"A table for two?" a waiter asked us. I hadn't even realized we'd entered the restaurant. The waiter stood at the podium, looking bored as he gazed at us for our response.

Josh nodded. "Yes."

"Right this way," the waiter swung his arm, gesturing for us to follow. I glanced at Josh warily as we began weaving our way through tables.

Josh glanced around, drumming his fingers on his thigh nervously. "Can we, uh, can we get a table in the back, please?"

"Uh," the waiter shot him an odd look. "A private table?"

"Please," Josh replied, obviously relieved.

"Sure."

_Why? _I asked him mentally.

Josh hardly glanced at me. _Because, _he explained, _if yer goin' ta question me, I don't want people overhearin'._

A thousand questions popped into my head, and I suddenly couldn't wait to be seated. It was like I _needed_ to know more about him—about what he was and his family. I wanted to know about _us_, about _my_ future. "Here you are," the waiter suggested, leading up to a secluded table where the nearest person was three tables away.

Slow night.

"Thanks," Josh nodded at him as we both slide into the booth. His eyes followed the waiter with a nervous glint in them before he turned his attention to me. "Okay, shoot. But if anyone comes…" he pulled his fingers across his lips in a zipper motion.

I leaned forward on the table, smiling eagerly. "Why am I different?" I asked, biting my lips to hold in the others. "You know, from other mates."

_This, _he said, touching his head and then pointing to me. "All mates can speak to one another in their minds—but only when in wolf form. Other pairs can't do this."

"Huh," I drew my eyebrows together. "Why?"

He shrugged. "I ain't sure, honestly."

"Interestin'," I breathed. "Are wolves' mates often human?"

He shook his head. "It's rare, actually, ta have a human mate. But it's happened before."

"How can that be, though?"

"I ain't…" he paused, glancing away. "I ain't really sure. Shush."

I followed his gaze to see another waiter coming towards us, looking very bored as she strolled up. "Something I could get you?" she asked.

_Water? _Josh asked, winking.

I smiled. _Sure._

"Two waters, please." He replied.

"Kay," she nodded. "I'll be right back."

She turned and walked away, with Josh watching out of the corner of his eye. He turned back to me as soon as she was out of earshot. "Anythin' else?"

"Yes," I said matter-of-factly. "Do you… _change_… at full moons?"

He scoffed, and then chuckled. "Nah," he shook his head. "But that is the day we're the strongest—something about the energy of the moon or somethin'?"

"Why would you need to be stronger?"

He shrugged again. "There're a lot a reasons."

"What about other packs? Are there other packs around here?"

"Not a lot," he replied. "I think the closest one to us is a couple miles away."

"_Werewolf _packs?"

He chuckled. "Yes. There are some regular packs around here, but they tend to stay out of our way."

"How do you tell if someone's a werewolf?" I asked, still slightly uncomfortable with the word.

Apparently so was he, because he winced. "We can smell each other, but you? I don't know."

"You sure?" I frowned. "There aren't any specific characteristics?"

His shoulders moved up and down, wrinkling his suit jacket. "I guess. Maybe."

I rolled my eyes. "Like _what_?"

"We got a short temperament, obviously. We're faster, a bit smarter at times, and stronger. That's why I beat the crap outta Jake." He scoffed, his eyes hardening. "Not that it was hard. That kid is gonna do somethin' stupid one a these days."

"Like what?" I laughed. "Kidnap me?"

He forced a light chuckle. "I guess yer right. I can deal with 'em."

"I'm always right!"

He gave me a sly smile. "Alright."

"What about healing?" I asked, gesturing to his arm.

He scowled at it, sighing. "We do heal fast, but because this is such a large wound, it's takin' a while. If a regular wolf had been hit like that, he'd a bleed ta death."

"What about Levi? Before he first shifted, I mean. Was he, like, considered a human or just a 'wolf in waiting' or something?"

"No," he chuckled. "He's always been a wolf. It was just a matter a time until he could shift on his own. But there are cases where they never shift. For some reason, they just can't. We call them Unables."

"Can you—"

_Shush_, he said, his eyes widening before glancing away from me.

The waiter appeared a second later, glancing at us oddly before setting our drinks down. "Are you ready to order yet?" she asked, pulling a pad and pencil from the cloth around her waist.

Josh and I glanced at each other. We hadn't even _looked_ at the menu. Josh cleared his throat, smiling crookedly. "Actually, no, we haven't quite decided."

"I'll be back in a few minutes then." She said, sighing as she left.

Josh smiling sheepishly. "I guess we should order somethin' ta eat then, huh?"

"I guess," I laughed and picked up the menu for the first time. I skimmed it, biting my lip as I thought. I had never had anything in a restaurant before. I had always been the one to make it. "What are you getting?"

He shrugged. "I ain't sure. Probably steak." He shot me a smile, chuckling to himself. "What were you askin'?"

I turned my attention back to the menu, sighing. "Can you make a human into a wolf?"

He choked on the water he was drinking, coughing as surprise etched itself on his face. "Why do ya ask that?" he coughed, clearing his throat.

I shrugged, looking over the pasta section. I had never liked pasta much. "Just wondering. I mean, you did say I was… 'Alpha female' or something. I was just wondering how I could be that when I wasn't a wolf."

"You are my _mate_. _ I am_ the alpha. Which makes you the mate of the alpha, and therefore the alpha female. It doesn't matter if you're a wolf." He shook his head. "Why would you ask _that_?"

"Oh!" I exclaimed. "The chicken and rice looks good, doesn't it?"

"_Danny,_" Josh said, making me glance up at him.

"What?"

Josh sighed, shaking his head. "Do you _want_ to be a wolf?"

I pursed my lips, looking away. I knew that question was coming, and I didn't know the answer. Not now. Definitely not now. I looked back to him, shrugging. "I don't know. Do I have to be one?"

His face fell and he tried to hide it by looking down before he composed himself. "Eventually. Probably. I don't know. It would definitely help."

"Can I?" I asked hesitantly.

"A course!" he exclaimed, his face brightening again.

I glanced down at the menu again. "Maybe," I decided. "But not now. How do you… how does that... happen… anyways?"

"Ya really wanna do this right now?" he asked, exasperated.

I blew out, ruffling the hair on the side of my face. "Yea," I nodded. "I wanna know."

"It doesn't always work," he blurted. "Sometimes the human's body rejects it, and it makes them sick, or kills them."

I raised an eyebrow. "Are you trying to scare me?"

"No! I just, uh…" he squeezed the bridge of his nose. "I don't want you to get hurt."

I smiled. "Are you scared to?"

"What, I, no, uh…" he sighed, biting the edge of his cheek. "Yes."

"Don't be," I smirked. "I'll be fine. Just tell me _how_. You're not actually doing it."

He sighed again, glancing away uneasily. "First, you bite them." His shoulders shook. "Then you bite yourself, and drop your blood into their wound. To mix the blood—it's the only way. Then you wait."

"What happens to—to the human?"

He glanced up at me sheepishly. "They usually pass out from the pain." He breathed. "And when they wake up—either they're sick, a wolf… or dead."

"What are the odds of… of…"

"Technically it's fifty-fifty," he said, grinding his teeth together. "But there're circumstances."

I tilted my head to the side in confusion. "What do you mean?"

He sighed lowly, quietly. "Human mates're rare, but there is one thing we know 'bout 'em—they can only be Turned by their mate."

"Why?"

"We don't know." He shrugged. "But after they've met their mate, they can only be Turned by them. Only I could Turn ya."

"And say I wanted to, but you didn't," I said. "I couldn't go to, say, Cormac and ask him?"

His eyes darkened as he shook his head. "No. And even if he did, it wouldn't end well."

"Meaning?"

"Ya wouldn't live through it."

My eyes widened. "Oh," I squeaked. "Well, I guess I know who to talk to then."

He chuckled, but was cut off as the waiter returned bearing a pad and pen. "Well?" she asked, irritated.

_She_ was beginning to irritate _me_. Josh glanced at me, his eyes laughing. "I'll have the rib-eye medium rare, and she'll have the chicken and rice."

"Finally," she muttered under her breath. "Anything else?"

His eyes narrowed into a glare. "No," he growled lowly.

Her eyes widened and she turned away without another word.

I leaned forward. "So what if I _wanted _to become a wolf? What would happen?"

"Ya would live with us," he glanced up at me sheepishly. "Fer a while at least, get ya used to the pack's way. And then, when yer ready, we'd start the process."

"And afterwards?"

"I wouldn't be able ta keep my hands off ya." He admitted, and my breath caught in my throat. "And vice versa."

I gulped. "How, uh, how long does it take?"

"Depends."

"Do werewolves live longer than humans?"

He nodded slightly. "The people that live into their nineties, and over a hundred? Wolves."

"Huh."

He leaned forward, smirking. "Is it my turn ta ask the questions now? Are ya out?"

I found myself blushing and looking away. "Why do you want to ask me questions? I asked. "This date was supposed to be my chance to interrogate you."

"And yer outta questions, right?"

I scrunched up my nose. "Fine."

He smiled victoriously, punching the air lightly. "Alright. Tell me about your family."

"Um…" I felt the blood rush from my face. "That ain't a question."

"What, c'mon!"

I chewed my lip nervously. "Josh… what questions could you possibly have about my family?"

"A lot," he confirmed. "Mostly one; _why_?"

I sighed, shrugging. "I ask myself that every day."

His eyes flashed darkly. "Do ya have any idea what yer gonna do 'bout it?" He leaned forward, wincing as he put weight on his injured arm and lifted up. "About, them, I mean."

"Finish school," I said lowly, studying the cracks on the wooden table. "Run away. Go to college. Start a family—I don't know!"

"You're just gonna _take_ it?" He growled, closing his eyes once his jaw clenched.

I glanced away, sighing as I noticed a normal family having dinner, laughing, talking, smiling. "What else _can_ I do?"

"Come live with us!" He said immediately.

I stared at him, and uncertainness flashed across his face. I sighed through my nose, glancing away and then back at him. "Josh, I…" I trailed off, looking everywhere I could but his beautiful eyes. "You know very well I can't."

"Danny," he groaned. "Ya gotta do _somethin'_. Ya can't just let other people control yer life."

"Next question," I insisted.

"Danny—"

"Next _question_," I said a little more forcefully.

Josh sighed angrily, and he repeated, "_Danny._"

"_Josh_," I growled, glancing up at him. "Leave. It. _Be_."

His eyes widened, and his jaw clenched. He leaned forward, pieces of his hair shadowed his skin. I could hear my heart pounding in my chest, fueled by my anger towards him. If he could just _leave _my home life _alone_, we would be absolutely fine. He looked as though he was going to argue with me once more, but he growled, "Fine."

"No more family questions."

He frowned, but nodded. "Why did ya quit talkin'?"

I swallowed uncomfortably, biting my lip and looking away. "Next," I squeaked.

"Uh-uh," he shook his head. "Answer the question, darlin'."

I sighed shakily. "I… I couldn't trust people… enough… to let them hear my… voice."

"And?" he pushed, leaning closer.

"I began to be afraid to speak," I continued. "Like someone would criticize or punish me for every word."

A frown twitched at his lips. "Danny…"

"I think…" I straightened up, lifting my chin ever so slightly. "I think I got some of my courage back when I met you. I mean, you heard me speak to Destiny. I spoke with Iya—"

"Ya spoke with Iya?" he cut me off, his eyes widening. "Great! Maybe then ya can speak ta the rest a my family."

I blushed, glancing down. "I don't know… I mean… that's _different_. That's your _family_. What—what would I even call your parents?"

He scratched his chin as he thought. Suddenly, his eyes brightened and he turned them towards me, smiling widely. "Mom and Dad," he answered.

My hands trembled at his words, and once again I couldn't find my voice.

He smiled that million dollar smile at me, striking me with those eyes. "How 'bout ya come over after we're done here? Ya can Tannar, see how a normal pair gets along."

I shook the feeling off and focused on him. "A _normal_ pair?" I raised an eyebrow, giving him an odd look.

"Uh," he glanced away. "Ya know, two _wolves_. Coffeeblue's changed. A lot. _I_ changed after I met you. I just wanted you to see that."

"And what… what were you like… before… you met me?" I asked suspiciously.

He leaned back, smirking. "Ladies man, a course."

Something shot in my chest. "You mean you had a lot of girls?"

"Well," he shrugged. "Yea. I mean, I had a lot of girls chasing after me, but none of them were _you_."

"You're flattering, Josh." I rolled my eyes.

"A course," he grinned widely, "I can see why they did."

I laughed dryly, shaking my head. "Why are you so conceited and cocky?" I asked, gazing at him. I didn't know who, or what, or how I got to be picked for Josh's mate, but I was glad. I didn't deserve this amazing guy, but he was mine.

"Hmm…" he smiled. "Comes with the package, I guess."

"And what a fine package that is," I muttered, studying him again.

He leaned back, putting his hands behind his head. "Oh, ya like?"

I rolled my eyes again, scoffing. "Joshua, you're being arrogant."

"It's my specialty," he laughed. He opened his mouth to ask another question, but I cut him off.

"Wait, can I ask one more question?"

"You just did," he chuckled.

I narrowed my eyes in a glare. "I'm _serious_, Josh!"

He ran his tongue over his lips before replying, "Alright."

"How can I be your mate when I'm not a wolf?"

He shrugged, and leaned forward on the table. "I don't really know. All I know is that you're my mate and I—"

"Here's your food," the waitress cut him off, placing his steak in front of him. He glanced up at her, scowled, and then leaned his head on his free hand. She raised her eyebrows at him and then placed my food in front of me. "I'll just… leave you two… alone."

After she'd walked away, Josh groaned. "I _cannot_ catch a break," he muttered.

"Does arrogance come with the whole wolf thing, or is that just you?"

He chuckled and glanced up at me. "That's just me, but it is a common trait."

I laughed, glancing down at the chicken and rice, poking at it with my fork. "Is this stuff any good?"

"You kiddin' me?" he said, shock written on his face. "Don't tell me ya've never eaten out bafore!"

I blushed, pushing the rice around and mixing it with the chicken that lay on top. "I've always cooked for myself. And it's pretty good, if I do say so myself."

"Score!" he chuckled.

I glared at him. "Excuse me?"

"What?" he looked up, his eyes wide as he popped a piece of steak in his mouth. "Nothin'."

"Uh huh," I muttered, glaring at him.

He smiled innocently. "Is it still my turn."

"Fine," I sighed, rolling my eyes. "But no family questions."

I took a bite of the food, almost moaning I pleasure. It was good. Almost better than mine, but… "What's your favorite color?" Josh asked.

"What? Why?"

The corner of his lip picked up. "I can't get ta know my own girlfriend?"

I laughed lightly, shaking my head. "Uh… I don't know. Never really thought about it. No one ever cared."

His eyes darkened in an instant. "Well, I care now, so think about it."

"Blue," I decided. The color of his eyes. "Yours?"

He shrugged. "Don't really have one."

I rolled my eyes. "Anything else?"

"Yea," he said. "You've never told me your middle name."

"Nicole," I laughed.

"Kevin," he smirked. "What's yer favorite memory?"

I felt my cheeks heat up. "Why are you asking all these questions?"

He smiled. "Just answer 'em. I wanna know ya better."

I sighed and rolled my eyes. "Uh… my favorite memory…? Probably… the dressing room…"

Again, I blushed as he smiled arrogantly. "I do have that effect on people."

"What's _your_ favorite memory?"

He smiled wide, his eyes sparkling. "When I first met you, a course. When you first talked to me, the dressing room, our _real _first date… when you _bite_ me. That's definitely up there."

I laughed, covering my mouth with my hand. "That was funny," I admitted. "You were so surprised."

"You _bite _me. How could I _not_ be surprised?" He chuckled, taking another bite of his steak.

I shook my head in disbelief. "Next question, since it's not my turn."

"Hm… Where are you most ticklish?" he asked seriously.

My whole face was painted with red. "_Why_?"

"Because," he smiled. "Answer the question."

"I don't know… my waist, maybe?"

He smiled devilishly. "I'll keep that in mind."

I glanced down, rubbing my head with my hand.

"How old were you when you had your first crush?"

"Josh!"

"Danny."

I groaned, rolling my eyes. "I don't know… maybe, fifth grade? What is that, like eleven?"

"Who was it?" he asked.

"Josh…" I trailed off, biting my lip.

He waved his hand in the air. "I'll be fine. I promise."

"It was… um… It was Jake. But I was, like, eleven, and I was dumb, and he was popular." I replied, talking very fast, somewhat hoping he wouldn't catch it.

The tightening of his jaw told me he did. "Do… did ya still like him… before I came?"

I shook my head, scowling. "No. I did like him for a long time, but then I figured he didn't even know I existed, so I got over him. I thought no one knew I existed, and that no one would like me, so I gave up on guys. Period. Until you showed up, so."

He reached across the table to take my hand in his. "That's not true, Danny. I—"

"How're you guys doing over here?" the waitress asked as she walked up to us.

"It's like they sit and _wait_," Josh muttered just loud enough for me to hear.

I raised an eyebrow at him, and nodded to the waitress. She smiled dryly and walked away. Josh squeezed my hand. "The moment has passed," he growled, and pulled away.

"_What_ are you talking about?" I asked in confusion, furrowing my eyebrows.

"Nothin'."

"Josh…?"

"Did you grow up here?" he asked suddenly, obviously trying to change the subject.

I played along, but frowned to tell him I wasn't done yet. "Sadly, yes."'

He nodded, scoffing. "I probably coulda guess that."

"You know, you never told me where you came from."

He smiled. "Little town in Kentucky. I'd say I miss it, but with you here, nah."

I blushed, glancing at my food and I took another small bite. "Why on earth did you come here anyways?"

"They were cuttin' down our territ'ry—the woods, at least. The town was growin', both in population and in size. We had no choice but to leave." He shrugged. "But I'm glad we did."

"I am too," I smiled shyly.

He nodded towards the door. "Ya ready ta go? I don't think this is really our type a thing."

I sighed in relief. "But we can't just leave without paying."

"I got it," he winked. "Don't worry 'bout it." He got up, laid a bill on the table, and held his hand out to me. "Wasn't much of a waitress, and she don't deserve the tip, but, whatever."

I took his hand and intertwined our fingers as I stood. "She was kinda getting on my nerves."

He nodded in agreement as we began making our way out of the restaurant. "Ya ready ta meet Tannar?"

"You mean a _real_ wolf pair?" I asked, shooting him another look.

"Yes," He smiled. "We'll get there soon, though. I promise."


	26. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

It wasn't that I was afraid to meet Tannar, it was figuring out what I was going to say to him. As soon as Josh had mentioned meeting Tannar, I was _determined_ to speak to him. Now I just had to figure out what to _say_.

The front door of the house shot open as soon as my feet hit the pavement. The alpha stood in the doorway, his fists clenched by his sides. Josh stood a little straighter, pushing his shoulders back. I tried to take my hand from his, but he held it firmly. "Joshua," Peter growled. "You _deliberately_ disobeyed me."

"If someone had told _you_ to stay away from Mom, would you have listened?" Josh shot back, his eyes narrowing.

Peter's eyes glanced once at me as his lips pressed together in a firm line. "Joshua, there are perks ta bein' Alpha, but there're also disadvantages. Sacrifices that _have_ ta be made fer the good a the pack. _She_ is a liability that I _cannot_ risk. You two are not mated. How do I know that she ain't gonna go scamperin' off, blabbin' our secret ta everybody who'll listen, huh?"

Josh's limp hand rolled into a fist. "Dad—"

I wrung my hand out of his and stepped forward, my hands dancing nervously. "Mr. Alpha, sir, um, I, uh…" the words came in a furious rush, and then they were gone, just like that.

I heard a slight triumphant chuckle behind me from Josh. Peter gazed at me, curiosity written in his eyes. "Uh…" I began, glimpsing back at Josh, who nodded in encouragement. "Please don't be mad at him…"

I glanced down, biting my lip. There was a moment of silence before laughter clouded my ears. I looked up in confusion to see Peter laughing, his hand clutching the door knob. Josh snickered behind me and I spun around, glaring at him. "What?" I asked. "What did I do? What did I say?"

"Mr. Alpha!" Peter laughed. "Ha! That's a new one!"

Josh shook his head, smiling. "Ya ain't never gonna live that one down, darlin'."

"I don't… what?" I pursed my lips, crossing my arms over my chest.

Josh chuckled as he took me by the waist. "Dad, I just wanted her ta meet Tannar."

"Josh," Peter suddenly turned serious. "You know the consequences if she talks?"

Josh's eyes flickered to mine momentarily and he frowned. "Yessir, I understand. I trust her."

Peter's lips tipped downward, decision swirling in his eyes. Finally, he turned, clearing the doorway. "Alright. Bring 'er in. I'm sure Tannar'd love ta meet 'er."

As Josh led me through the door, a slight pressure began in my head. I ignored it, blinking in hope to rid it. "They're in the basement, settin' up Tannar's temporary room." Peter informed us, closing the door.

"Oh?" Josh said, raising an eyebrow. "Tannar's actually _stayin'_ 'ere?"

Peter's eyes narrowed the slightest. "Only on weekends."

"But I ain't allowed ta _see_ my mate," Josh said, a hint of a growl in his voice.

Peter hardly glanced at me before snarling, "Your mate is a _human_, Joshua."

His hand tightened on mine, and I found the floor to be very interesting. It was plain white carpeting—"And Tannar is a wolf. Glad we straightened that out." Josh hissed, and I briefly imagined his eyes blazing before continuing to study the carpet.

If you looked closely enough, you could see a path from the door leading into the house. "Joshua," Peter's voice dipped lower. "You know what I meant."

It seemed someone hadn't vacuumed lately. "Oh, no." Josh's voice oozed venomous sarcasm. "I'm afraid I didn't quite catch the meanin' a that."

Perhaps I could do that… "I've explained this already, son!" Peter snapped.

An odd stain sat by Peter's feet, created by a mischievous one year old, no doubt. "Then don't bother strainin' yerself." Josh tugged my hand, and I reluctantly glanced up at the two—away from that lovely carpet. "C'mon, Danny." I followed after him as he started across the living room.

"I didn't want ta use the Alpha's Voice, Joshua," Peter threatened. "Don't make me."

I had no idea what he meant, but Josh stiffened next to me. Nostrils flared and eyes dark as he glanced over his shoulder, Josh replied darkly, "I've broken it once, _Alpha_. I can do it again."

With his anger burning in my chest, Josh practically pulled me after him. I wobbled on the heels and clutched his arm for support. At that, he slowed, glancing at me with concerned eyes, but said nothing. Next to the stairs leading to the upper floors, and the teens bedrooms, stood a wall that hung many photos of the family. Next to that, another hallway. He lead me to that hallway, but stopped just a foot in. I glanced over to him, only to find another staircase behind him—only this one leading down.

Josh stepped down on the first step and pulled me down to him, but made no move to go any further. "Sorry," he murmured, closing his eyes. "Just let me calm down."

_We got a short temperament, obviously. _I almost chuckled at his words, but instead, stood in front of him, my thumb running across his skin absentmindedly. A sharp pain flashed through my head, and I winced.

Suddenly, Josh's eyes opened and a smile spread across his face. "I don't know what I'd do without ya," he said, squeezing my hand.

I realized there were no longer any of his emotions in my chest, and I just stared at him, bewildered. Still, he smiled, straightening up from leaning on the wall. He released my hand only to wrap his arm around my waist. I found myself whispering, "You haven't kissed me for a while."

"I don't think I've had the pleasure." His eyes sparkled as he leaned down. His mouth pressed against mine, and I inhaled his scent, returning his kiss. He pulled back all too soon. My vision blurred and my head still pounded, but I blamed his kiss and Josh himself. He always left me dizzy.

Taking my hand again, he stepped down another stair. I followed him. "Watch yer hea—" He began, a bit too late. My head banged against the low hanging ceiling, and I reeled back from the collision. If I had thought my head was pounding before, this made it seem like a measly scratch. I hissed in pain, lifting my free hand to press against my forehead.

"Danny, are you alright?" Josh asked frantically, his hand pressing into my shoulder.

I rubbed my head, and the pain subsided slightly, but not as much as I would've liked. "Ouch," I whined, still rubbing my head.

"If I kissed it, would it make ya feel better?" he asked in his baby voice.

Pouting, I nodded. Immediately, I regretted the action, and closed my eyes against the pain. The touch of his lips against my skin hardly made the pain lessen, but it did bring a slight smile to my lips. "Are ya okay, sweetheart?" he asked again.

I didn't dare nod again, but I opened my eyes. "Fine." Ducking this time, we continued down the stairwell.

"Quite a blow ya took there," Josh said, and I didn't miss the hint of amusement hidden in his alluring voice.

I shot him a glare, a wince of pain running down my spine as I turned my head sharply to do so. "You find it funny?" I asked. Only then did the heat rise up to my skin, staining my cheek and neck.

He gave me an innocent smile. "Only a little."

I rolled my eyes, pleased when no flash of pain followed. I asked curiously, "Josh?"

"Yea?" he replied.

"What did your father mean by 'Alpha's Voice'?" I questioned, deciding against tipping my head towards him.

Josh grimaced, and a flash of his earlier anger flashed through me. "It's an alpha's power," he explained. "It enabled 'im ta control his pack. When he uses the Voice, no one of his pack can disobey him. Literally."

"Oh," I muttered. We reached the end of the stairs, and he glanced around. One room was lite more than the rest, and he began towards it.

"Josh!" I heard as I caught up to him, and instantly recognized Coffeeblue's voice. "Didn't think ya'd be back so soon."

"Believe it," Josh smirked, leaning in the doorway, blocking my view of the inside. "I brought my date home."

Coffeeblue barreled past him. "Danny!" she called when she saw me, throwing her arms around my shoulders. As she jostled me, a burning pain flashed through my head, but I put it aside. A warning growl brought her back, and I wasn't sure if it was Josh, or Coffeeblue's mate. Josh backed away from the doorway to lean against the wall.

"Danny," Coffeeblue smiled. "I'm sure Josh's told ya?"

"A course," Josh interrupted, sparing me the nod when I couldn't find my voice.

She shot him a glare and then turned her peaceful eyes back to me. "Well, then, I want ya ta meet Tannar."

For the first time, I glanced in the room and smiled. A boy stood just inside the doorway, his brown gazed locked on Coffeeblue and a brush dripping with white paint in his hand. A blue baseball cap somewhat tamed the mass of brown hair and shaded his tanned face. He wore overalls and a white tee shirt that were stained with paint. Coffeeblue shot him a glare as well when he didn't do anything. He raised an eyebrow as a smirk lite his lips. Coffeeblue rolled her eyes and took his free wrist. "Tannar, this is Danny." I almost gasped as she grabbed my wrist as well. "Danny, this is Tannar."

She forced us to shake each other's hand, and Tannar's eyes widened as if he had just noticed me. "Oh!" he lifted the hand that held the brush to touch his hat. I bit back a giggle as he brushed paint onto the hat. "Sorry, miss. Didn't see ya there."

Somehow I wasn't surprised to find that he too held a Southern accent. His grip tightened before dropping. "Nice ta meet you, too." I said, giving him a small smile.

He nodded, and Coffeeblue's eyes widened dramatically. Josh smiled and I turned my head to return the gesture. As I did so, the pain bolted through my head again, and this time I flinched, bringing my hand up to press against my forehead again, closing my eyes. His touch appeared at my waist. "Danny?" Josh's voice hitched. "Are you sure yer alright? Maybe I should take ya to the doctors."

"No," I grimaced, keeping my eyes shut tightly.

When I opened them, all three pairs of eyes were trained on me, worry flashing in each one. "Daddy's still here," Coffeeblue informed us, uncertainty pulling her lips downward. "Maybe he could help?"

Josh's eyes flashed. "I guess it wouldn't hurt ta call Uncle Tyler. But… Danny, are you okay?"

The edges around him darkened, and I narrowed my eyes to focus more on him. I opened my mouth to reply, but no sound came. The edges of the tunnel closed further, and now I could only see Josh. "Tyler! Tyler!" He jumped forward, taking me in his arms as the tunnel closed.

:::::

"Would ya _consider_ takin' yer dad's advice, Josh?" a female voice asked, but I was too tired to pinpoint it.

"No, Mom." At Josh's voice I suddenly woke, but I couldn't quite seem to open my eyes. "I ain't gonna stay away from her. I—Danny?"

Something squeezed my hand and my eyelids fluttered open reluctantly. I caught Josh's worried blue eyes and glanced around. I didn't recognize the room, but I was lying in a bed with Josh at my side, holding my hand. It looked as if chairs had been brought in to accommodate the large family, but only half were here. Coffeeblue and Iya sat to my right, turned towards each other with cards in their hands and between them. "Hmm…" Coffeeblue said, staring at Iya and leaning back against Tannar. "Got any twos?"

"Ha!" Iya said, punching the air. "Go fish!"

Coffeeblue glared at her, but as she took a card from in between them, she smiled. "Ha!" She echoed her sister. "I gotta match!" She pulled another card from her hand and laid the two on her lap. Iya pouted and sighed, glancing down at her empty lap.

Cormac sat between Gail and another woman I remembered to be Julie, the twin's mother. His legs were spread out in front of him and his head hung back, his eyes closed and mouth agape. Julie patted her son's leg, earning no reaction from him whatsoever, and returned back to reading the novel she held in her hands. Gail stood, putting a magazine on her seat and made her way over the other side of my bed. She placed her hand on mine gently and I looked up at her. "How're ya feelin', sweetie?" she asked.

"Mom," Josh groaned. "That's my job."

"Oh, hush," Gail waved her hand at him.

"She's awake?!" one of the girls asked, jumping up from her chair. From the following growl, I suspected it was Coffeeblue.

Cormac sputtered, sitting up and blinking the sleep from his eyes. "I'm awake!" he muttered, a guilty look settling on his face.

"It's okay, sweetheart," Julie pated Cormac's knee again. "We didn't mind yer snorin'."

His eyes widened in horror. "What?" he choked. "Snorin'?"

"Like a big 'ol fat pig," Iya confirmed, nodding.

Red crept up Cormac's cheeks and he glared at his younger sister. "You should hear yerself—ouch!" Julie smacked the back of her son's head.

Cormac glared at her too, rubbing the spot she had struck. "What was that for?"

His mother shook her head. "Ya shouldn't say such things ta ladies."

"Ladies?" Cormac scoffed. "What kinda books ya readin', huh? Iya ain't no—ouch!"

Another strike. "Hush, Cormac, that's yer sister."

"_Exactly_," Cormac said. "Not no—_Mom_!"

I bit back a giggle as Cormac was cuffed again, but his sisters didn't. Cormac shot them a glare and they settled down the slightest. But he crossed his arms over his chest and sat back. "I'm goin' back ta sleep," he muttered and closed his eyes.

Gail rolled her eyes and both her and her son turned back to me. "Anyway, how're ya feelin', Danny?"

I shrugged slightly. "I, uh…" I pressed my lips together and glanced around. "I feel fine. Where are we?"

"Danny…" Josh furrowed his eyebrows and looked up at Gail. "We're in the hospital. Ya fainted."

I suddenly noticed the steady beeping as it increased dramatically. Gail glanced at the machine, me, and then rested her gaze on her nieces. "Iya, go get yer father."

She nodded, jumped up from the chair, and bolted from the room. With a start I realized the beeping was my heart rate. We were in a _hospital. I_ was in a hospital. I shook my head, my breath coming in short, ragged pants. "No—no. J-Josh. Get me outta here. I-I can't—" I couldn't finish the sentence. Hospitals reported child abuse. They discovered the injuries and reported it. If they found out and took me away, I'd be separated from Josh.

He stood from the bedside chair, his hand tightening on mine. He leaned over to brush the bang from my face and his thumb stroked my cheek. "It's alright, darlin'." He said, but I didn't miss the worry lines creasing his brow.

"It's alright," he repeated.

_Josh_¸ I thought. _They'll take me away if they find out. _

His eyes darkened and his fingers brushed the wounds from the glass bottle. _They _were_ askin' a lot a questions… _He glanced up at his mother. "They said when she woke we were okay ta go, right?" he asked.

Gail frowned. "I'm sure Tyler would like ta see her out bafore he starts his shift."

There was a loud snore, and everyone turned their attention to Cormac, who had resumed his earlier position. Josh was the first one to look to Gail again. "Are ya sure?"

"I hear she's awake, then?" a male voice interrupted them. When his eyes trained on me, I instantly recognized Cormac's icy blue eyes. His skin was kissed by the sun, and his blond hair looked even lighter against it. He looked to be about thirty or so and wore the usual doctor's apparel. I guessed this to be Tyler, Josh's uncle. He smiled and went to stand next to his nephew.

"How're ya feelin'?" he asked, gazing at me.

I glanced at Josh, begging him with wide eyes. _Josh…_

Josh turned to his uncle, frowning. "She says she feels fine. But she wants ta go home."

Tyler frowned, but nodded. "Alright. Keep an eye on her though, Josh." I was surprised at how easily he agreed, but I wasn't complaining.

"I will," Josh smiled. "I will."

Tyler nodded and reached to remove something from my finger. The heart rate machine flat lined as soon as it was gone. He spread his arms. "Free ta go."

I looked over to see Iya scooping up the cards, wondering when she had snuck back in. Tyler walked over to the girls, wrapping his arms around both of them as they stood. "Bye, girls." He said, smiling.

The girls returned the gesture. "Bye, Daddy." Coffeeblue said.

"Love ya," Iya replied.

Tyler stepped up to Julie, who had stood to her full height. Glancing at Cormac, he scoffed before taking her hands. "I love you," he kissed her softly. "I'll see ya later."

Julie nodded and Tyler kicked his son's feet, startling him. Cormac sat up dazedly, blinking, and his chair tipped backwards. I gasped as he fell backwards, landing with a sharp _Thud. _He moaned and his foot twitched—which were still hanging over the chair. "More comfortable down 'ere anyway…" he mumbled.

Tyler chuckled. "Bye, son."

"Uh-huh," Cormac groaned.

"Yer free ta leave, Cormac."

"Really?" He scrambled to his feet with difficulty, gazing at every one. "Well? We gonna go?"

Tyler simply rolled his eyes and left the room. Josh tugged on my hand. I looked up at him and then down at myself. Relieved that I was still wearing _my_ clothes, I let Josh help me out of the hospital bed. "For the record," Josh leaned down to whisper in my ear, "I think it was a pretty good date."

:::::

The next day, Josh wouldn't leave me alone. He checked on me when I woke up, drove me to school, and checked in on me during school. Currently, he was probably waiting for me at my locker.

As I turned the corner, my heart dropped and my anger flared. Sure enough, Josh leaned against my locker, but someone also leaned on _him_.

_But, look, Danny… at home, we got to have each other's backs. But at school… I don't know you, alright?_

Ha. Well, then, I don't know her either.

My free hand clenched into a fist by my side while my other one held my books tightly to my chest. I blew out angrily, and it almost came out like a growl. Josh's head snapped up, his eyes widening as he caught my gaze. He glanced down at Destiny, then his injured arm. _Help me. _He said, turning those blue orbs towards me. I ran my hand through my hair, and before I knew it, my feet were stalking towards them.

Destiny turned towards me, frowning, and her hands rested on Josh's chest. "What—"

"Back off, Destiny," I snapped, cutting her off. Around me, the entire hall went silent. Josh smirked and Destiny's eyes narrowed. "He is _my_ boyfriend. He ain't into you!

"_Get over it._" I snarled, closing the distance between us. There were a couple gasps at my outlandish behavior, but I didn't care. Someone had to teach her a lesson, and I was the one who had to put up with her at home too.

"Really?" she scoffed, but uncertainty swirled in her eyes as she swiveled to Josh. He scowled, unable to back away, and instead turned his chin away from her. Her lips connected with his cheek. Pushing his books behind his sling, he took hold of her wrists and pushed her away. She cursed lowly, turning. Someone struck my cheek and I scowled. From the corner of my eye, I saw Josh stiffen, the temper inside him burning. I gave him a look to stay in his place. This one was _my_ fight.

I ground my teeth together, lifting my head to give her a hardened look. I smiled, chuckled a little, handing my books to Josh. "You really think that'll get me ta go away? That a little slap'll scare me off? Well, news flash, _Destiny_¸ I ain't the same girl I was a few weeks ago." I glanced at Josh, who was smirking at me. "I ain't frightened so easily no more."

_She threw the first punch, angel. _Josh said. _I'd say go for it, but with yer head…_

But my fist was already flying through the air. A roar ran through the crowd and I suddenly found them very annoying. My fist connected with her face, sending her smashing into the lockers. She gasped, blinking and bringing a hand to her nose to check for blood. Everyone cheered. I clenched my hands into fists. I didn't do _chick_ fights. I had grown up being the punching bag. At least I got something from it.

Destiny's gaze straightened out, scowling at me. She just about to lunge when Josh took hold of her shoulder, pushing her back into the wall. "Ah, ah." He growled. "You ain't hurtin' her again."

I smiled victoriously as Destiny slumped against the lockers, rubbing her injured jaw, glaring at Josh.

"I hope that'll teach ya a lesson," I said after Josh had stepped back, but was still ready to jump forward again. My own personal body guard. "Maybe next time you'll leave my boyfriend _alone_"

"How anyone picks _you_ over _me_¸ I'll never understand." She snarled. My fists tightened.

"She ain't so desperate and easy ta get," Josh snapped. She gasped in hurt and I laughed out loud at his comment as an _ooh_ went through the crowd.

Her scowl deepened, and she turned towards me. "I'll get him," she muttered for my ears only, although I knew Josh could hear her. "I promise you that." At that, Jake pushed through the crowd, grabbing Destiny's elbow. Jake glanced at her reddening face, and then at me, his mouth agape. Something sparkled in his eyes, and it definitely wasn't anger. Josh growled lowly at him, stepping in front of me and taking my hand.

I had never seen that look in Jake's eyes, but somehow I knew it. It was _awe_. And Josh was jealous all over again. Destiny had to be right. Josh growled lowly again. "Both of you stay away from her." He pushed me to go forward. I did, and the crowd parted for us, groaning that the fight was over.

"Get yer stuff," he muttered. "I ain't gonna be able ta hold it much longer."

I nodded, taking the books from under his sling. I tried glancing over my shoulder at them, but Josh slung his arm around me, whispering in my ear, "The victor never looks back."

I smiled, biting my lip. "I did win, huh? I actually won this time!"

I turned to see him smile, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Ya did sweetie. And let me tell ya," his lips brushed my ear. "Yer very sexy when yer mad."

Images flashed in my mind, but I pushed them away along with him. "Stop it, Josh."

He laughed, his eyes finally sparkling as we made our way to class. "So how da ya feel?"

"Are ya talking about my pride or my head?"

He smiled again. "Both."

"My head feels fine, and my pride is about to burst!" I couldn't help but squeal.

He chuckled, kissing my cheek. "Good. It's about time ya felt proud a yerself."

"I thought so," I nodded, looking up at him. "Thank you."

"I had nothin' ta do with it, darlin'. That was all you."

:::::

When the final bell rung, I packed up slowly, waiting for Josh to show up at the door in his adorable baseball uniform, but he never did. I furrowed my eyebrows, picking up my stuff and hugging it to my chest as I made my way out of the room. I glanced around the hallway, but there was still no sign of him. Thinking maybe he was expecting me to meet him at the field, I squeezed my way through the flowing crowd towards the back of the school.

As I turned the corner, a familiar couple stopped me dead in my tracks. I retreated behind the corner, peering over it. The two stood facing each other—my boyfriend and my sister. I watched in horror as Destiny stepped up to him, stood on her toes, wrapped her arms around his neck and smashed her lips to his. I sucked in a deep breath, waiting for Josh to shove her away, but he didn't. He stepped back from shock and placed his hands on her hips.

I covered my mouth, choking back a sob, whirling around to press my back into the brick wall. Tears rolled down my cheeks and I closed my eyes. How could I let myself get this attached to him? I knew he wasn't serious. I knew he was just playing. And now the truth was spread in front of me. No one could ever really love me. It was impossible. I'm loveless, and I always will be. It was all for Destiny, and I let him. I let him get to me. I let myself fall for him. I let myself believe that he was good, that he was going to treat me right, but I was wrong. I was dead wrong.

And I wouldn't let it happen again.

Wiping my eyes, I bolted across the lawn, still more tears blurred my vision. I slowed as I reached the parking lot, trying to hold back the tears, but they kept coming. I hurried across the lot, right past the Miller's SVU. I ignored them, wiping my cheeks. "Danny?" Coffeeblue called doubtfully. "Are you ridin' with us?"

I shook my head, sucking in a breath and continued on. I had to go home. I never wanted to see him again.

The tears had slowed when I gripped the doorknob. Throwing it open, I found Destiny holding a bowl in her hands, her eyes wide with guilt. At the sight of her, and her expression, the waterworks began all over again. My fists clenched by my sides. Blinking back the tears, but not bothering to hide them, I told her, "You can have him," with a cracking voice.

"What?" Destiny asked, bewildered.

I ignored her, shaking my head as I retreated up the stairs. I slammed the door shut, suddenly thankful that my father wasn't home. Throwing my books and myself on the bed, I buried myself in my homework.

:::::

_Knock, knock. _"Danny!" Someone hissed. "Danny!"

I opened my eyes, blinking against the blinding sun. I glanced at the clock, furrowing my eyebrows. I didn't remember falling asleep. A textbook lay under my cheek, open to the spot I'd been studying. I yawned, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

There was another rap from the window. "_Danny,"_ he whispered. "Open the window!"

"Go away!" I yelled, slamming the book shut as anger shot through me.

"What?" he asked, obvious hurt lining his voice.

"Leave me alone!" I said, suddenly wishing I had curtains or shade.

He knocked on the window again. "Danny, are you alright? Just open the window."

I jumped out of bed, flinging open the window he crouched on. I noticed his cast was gone. "No," I growled, pushing on his chest, but he hardly budged. His beautiful blue eyes were wide, his mouth agape. "Go away! I don't wanna talk to you!"

"Wait!" he said, as I closed the window. "What's wrong?"

"Leave me alone," I hissed, glaring at him. "Before I call the cops on you!"

He blinked in surprise, shaking his head in disbelief. "Alright. Fine. I'll pick ya up in a few minutes?"

I scowled at him. "No! Don't you _get it_? We're _over_. I never wanna see you again!"

He sucked in a breath, his eyes breaking. "Danny, I—"

"I never want to _talk_ to you again!" I cut him off. "Just _go away_."

Josh didn't bother hiding the hurt plain on his face. "Al-alright…"

My heart clenched as he dropped from sight. I stomped over to the dresser, snatching up a pair of clothes and rushing into the shower.

_How dare he_? How could he? How dare he just kiss my sister and then come back as if nothing happened? This wasn't just because he kissed another girl. I had never trusted anyone my entire life because I knew they'd eventually let me down. But I trusted _him_ and he still let me down. He betrayed me. He _cheated_ on me with my own sister. He had hurt me like no one had ever hurt me before. And it hurt even more to know he had really gotten to me.

To know I had fallen in love with someone who was simply using me.

I stepped out of the shower, throwing on the clothes I had grabbed. Something on the counter caught my eye, and I snatched it up, unfolding it. My jaw clenched as soon as I realized what I was holding. His sweatshirt. His stupid baseball sweatshirt. I balled it up, brushed my teeth and pulled my hair back with a clip.

Going downstairs, I found Grant sprawled out on the kitchen floor, passed out. I stepped over him, pulling out the toaster. Once the toast was done, I threw it on a plate and left it on the counter. Stepping over my father again, I picked up my bag and Josh's sweatshirt before heading out.

I started across the lawn with my head held high, the anger boiling in my chest. I walked along the side of the road, tensing whenever I heard a car's engine. But no car slowed to stop. Part of me was glad, but the other part was hurt. I sighed, lowering my chin as I made my way to school.

I stepped into the parking lot, heading straight for the space I knew they'd be. Josh jumped from the tailgate as soon as he saw me coming, a smile spreading on his face. "Danny—" he began, but I cut him off with a glare.

"Don't get your hopes up," I snapped, stepping up to him. I shoved his sweatshirt in his arms, slightly enjoying the surprised look on his face. "I was just returning your _property_. I don't need it anymore."

Without another word, I turned and walked away. "Danny!" he called, but I continued walking. The hurt reappeared in my chest and I bit my tongue, focusing on the physical pain instead of the aching in my heart. When I came into class after stopping at my locker, I pulled my chair to the far side of the table, and pushed his to the other side. I wanted to be as far away from him as possible. He wouldn't get to me. Not again.

I collapsed into the chair, opening my textbook to finish the homework I had fallen asleep doing. The calculus was difficult, but luckily the teacher assigned problems that could be done without a calculator. I froze as the chair beside me jolted, and I immediately felt his presence. It was a feeling that was irreplaceable. The tingling, the electricity. I ignored him, continuing with my math.

The chair moved and he shifted. I kicked my foot out to his chair, keeping it where it was. "Don't," I told him harshly. "Stay over there."

He sighed. "Danny, I don't know—"

"Just leave me alone, alright?" I asked, keeping my eyes plastered to the notebook my pen rested on. "I'm done. I'm tired of being used."

He leaned forward. "What're ya—"

"Just _stop_." I growled, scowling as I glanced up at him. "Stop."

He straightened, his eyes widening. I couldn't look at him long before getting lost in those eyes and I turned back to my paper, pressing my mouth in a hard line. He didn't say anything else, and I was glad.

For the first time in weeks, I was actually able to pay attention to the lesson. And when the bell rung, I was up and out with a glance in his direction. It was easier in English without _him_ there next to me. And then came math. I stopped at my locker again to switch my books and reluctantly made my way to my third class. Josh was already seated when I walked in, his head leaning on his hand and a confusion expression plastered on his face. I kept my eyes straight forward as I passed him, my jaw clenched. As I sat down, he turned.

I glanced up at him, rolling my eyes and pulling out my finished homework. "Destiny invited me over." Josh blurted, unease crossing his face.

My heart clamped, and my hands tightened into fists. "Did she now?" I asked without interest. "And why would I care?"

He shrugged. "Thought ya might."

I nodded in exaggeration.

"But I said no," he informed me.

Again, I nodded.

He sighed irritably. "Look, I don't know what I did, or what happened—"

"You know exactly what you did!" I hissed, glaring daggers at him.

"No, I really—" he began, shaking his head.

"Turn around," I snapped.

His jaw tensed, but he turned away from me.

On the way to lunch, Destiny approached Josh, hooking her arms through his. She said something, and he shook his head once—and then his gaze caught mine. He frowned, furrowing his eyebrows. He then said one word that I could make out: _Sure_.

Josh was coming over.

**_Do you guys think Danny's changed through the story? How? Good? Bad? Did Josh _****really** **_have 'nothing' to do with it, or was he just being modest? Also, the last chapter had a lot of foreshadowing, so… This story is getting heated! Ha! We're reaching the climax…which means this story is nowhere near ending. But maybe some of you can go back and find it… But don't spoil it for everyone else! I'm so excited, guys! _**

**_And sorry that this is such a fast chapter. I didn't know what to fill it with, and the scenes are obviously important. And also, this is getting way too long! It's already over 200 pages! Unbelievable, right? But the next chapter is when things start to get juicy :3 Oh, and it'll also probably be a lot shorter than the rest because it has to end on a certain note. The only good point of that is it'll take shorter to write and you guys'll love it! I'm tellin ya. It's great. Not that I already have some of it written because I had to get the idea out of my head...Of course not. _**

**_So, I also didn't read over this because I didn't feel like it and I'm tired and I have to get up early... so excuse all typos and such. _**

**_And please Reivew! Thanks :D_**


	27. Chapter 19

_**So, you guys are gonna hate this chapter. Just saying. But don't freak out. Next chapter's gonna take a while because it's in Josh's point of view. So, enjoy... I hope...**_

_**~Anni12**_

Chapter 19

I scowled as I heard the doorbell ring, closing my eyes to hold in the tears. I proceeded to shake the cake mix over the cherries, ignoring the bell going off again and again. _Just answer the door already!_ I groaned internally, refusing to answer the door to that cheater. Just as I placed the dessert in the oven and set the timer, my father yelled out, "Get the door!" I flinched; I knew that the wolf pack outside could hear it. I threw my oven mits on the counter, growling at them as I stomped towards the door.

I yanked it open, scowling at the brilliant blue eyes that I met. "Danny!" He said, smiling until he saw my expression. I barely glanced at his parents behind himI rolled my eyes, turning and starting back towards the kitchen. "Wait! Danny!" he called, but I ignored him. I felt him clawing at the wall around my mind, but still I chose to act like he was nonexistent. I snatched the knife off the counter and grabbed an apple. Still, he knocked and knocked as I sliced the apple in half.

"Danny, please just listen ta—" he began, placing his hands on my hips. I jumped, yelping as I felt him, the electricity; the blood dripping from my finger. Internally, I cursed him, setting the knife down on the counter and reaching for a rag, but it was already around my hand. I hissed at the hot water, pulling away from Josh, glaring daggers at him.

His face fell as he frowned. "Danny, I don't understand. What's wrong?" he asked, taking a step towards me.

I stepped back, grounding my teeth. _Get away from me._

I cringed as hurt flashed through his eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but I shook my head, averting my eyes. I made my way across the kitchen, rummaging through the drawer by the fridge in search of a Band-Aid. "Here, let me get that for you." He said, snatching it from my hand. I flinched, wanting to snap at him, but he and his stupid werewolf speed had already gotten the rag off and was drying the small cut. I hissed again, stepping back as he wrapped it around my finger.

"There, now that wasn't so bad, right?" he asked, his eyes innocent as he curled the trash in his fist.

I scowled at him again, pulling away. I tried going back to my job, but he grabbed my arm lightly, making me turn towards him. "Danny, what's going on? Why ain't ya talkin' ta me?"

I rolled my eyes at his innocent act and again tried to go back to what I was doing. And again, I got one step further before he whipped me back around to face him. "Danny, please! Did I do somethin's wrong? Did I—"

He stopped, raising an eyebrow as I pointed the knife I had grabbed from the counter at him. _Go away._ I told him, my heart rate rising.

He rolled his eyes. "Yer threatenin' me with a knife?" he chuckled, but his smile was soon wiped from his face. He furrowed his eyebrows. "Why are you threatenin' me? Danny, I would never hurt you."

_Too late._ I growled, but my spirit suddenly was gone.

I winced visibly as I heard my family's voice ring out. "Mr. and Mrs. Miller! Hi! How are you? Where's Josh?" Destiny asked, her voice rising as she switched into polite mode. I pushed the rag into his hands, frowning as I turned back to the apple, rinsing the knife.

"Hi, honey." Gail said, but I could tell she wasn't very happy. "I think he's in the kitchen. With Danny."

"Really? Well, I'd like you to meet my Daddy, Grant Kimble. Daddy, this is Josh's mom and dad." She said, making me flinch.

Josh let out a low growl as my father spoke. "Nice to meet you." he said gruffly.

"Hello, I'm Gail, and this is Peter. Nice to meet you as well." Gail said, but I knew her well enough to know that her real words were harsh.

_Has he done anythin' ta ya, Danny?_ Josh's words cut through me, bringing me out of my thoughts. I shuddered, brushing my bangs behind my ear. I couldn't answer him. He growled again. "Danny—" he began, but a shrill voice cut him off.

"Joshy!" she shrieked as I heard her footsteps running towards him. I recoiled from her, but I couldn't help the pang in my chest at the thought of them together.

"Destiny." He said emotionlessly, but I could feel the anger coming off of him in waves.

"Well, why don't we go into the kitchen and begin dinner?" my father offered, and soon I heard them enter.

"C'mon, let's go sit down!" Destiny said, pulling him to the table. I expected to relax when he was gone, but instead I tensed as I finished cutting the apple. I put them on a new plate, scooping it up into my hand and picking up the salad bowl with the other. I made my way over to the table, not making eye contact with anyone as I set it down on the table.

"Danny, ya won't be joinin' us?" Gail asked. I internally flinched and groaned. _Not the best question to ask_. I thought. I figured it'd be best to ignore her, but my father did the talking for me.

"Oh, don't mind _her_." He basically spit the word. "She's nobody. Just ignore her." He said, waving his hand in the air. The house went dead silent before Destiny started up another conversation, leaving me to serve the dinner.

Josh scowled as Destiny prodded him in the arm. "Baby, you didn't eat any of your food." She noticed as I went around collecting the empty plates. If only I got paid for this, you could call it waitressing.

"Not hungry." Josh almost growled out, hardly glancing at her before returning his gaze to me. I looked away, my jaw clenching. How could I still think his eyes were the most gorgeous thing after what he had done to me? I cursed him and his beautiful eyes as I placed bowls of dessert salad (Destiny insisted we have them instead of the cobbler I had already made) onto a platter.

Peter cleared his throat. "So, um, Danny, she's your daughter?" he asked.

I froze, glancing out of the corner of my eyes to see everyone's eyes on my father. Josh looked ready to rip someone's head off. Grant scoffed. "No way in h*** is that b**** my daughter." I cringed. Now that's the 'father' I knew and hated. I started towards the table with the platter in hand.

I gasped as Josh stood, his eyes blazing and his jaw clenched. "The h*** she isn't!" he growled.

"Joshua!" Gail scolded, but Josh hardly glanced her way.

"No," he said. "He knows very well that Danny is his daughter, but he just doesn't want to admit that he doesn't know how to keep his hands off her and control his temper." His eyes narrowed as he spilled my secret to the whole table—and the fact that it looked as though I had told him.

The table shook as my father slammed his fist on the table, standing along with him. I screamed as caught my foot, cutting off his next words. I fell forward, the platter flying into the air as I knocked into Josh's chest, the sudden impact sending both of us to the ground. He grunted as I landed on top of him, a corner of his mouth picking up as he chuckled. I opened my eyes to find the salad all over us and the floor, the plate clattered to the ground not far away. "You clumsy b****!" Grant yelled, making me draw back.

I scrambled to my feet, not wasting a second as the salt water formed in my eyes and fled up the stairs, closing the door behind me. I retreated to a small indent in the wall, burying myself in the corner and pulling my knees to my chest. I wrapped my arms around my legs, crying as I tried to make myself as small as possible.

Loud voices echoed from downstairs, but I couldn't quite pick out the words. I jumped as a sot knocked sounded. I knew it was him before he even spoke. "G-Go away!" I sobbed, wiping at my eyes.

The door opened slowly. "Danny?"

"I-I said go away!" I snapped, covering my face with my hand.

I listened to his footsteps as he approached, crouching in front of me. I jumped as his hand rested on my knee. I looked up, pushing his hand away. "Don't _touch_ me!" I growled, pushing myself farther away from him.

Hurt flashed across his face. "Why're ya so mad at me?"

"You're a jerk," I replied harshly.

He shook his head slowly. "I still don't understand why yer so upset with me."

I sat up quickly, pushing him away by his shoulders. "You betrayed me!"

He landed back on his palms, his mouth agape in surprise. "I-I didn't! I wouldn't! I would _never_—"

"You _did_!"

He frowned, leaning forward so that he rested on his knees. "Ya gotta trust me, Danny."

"Why should I trust _you_ after all you've put me through?"

He threw his hands up in exasperation. "Because I _love you_."

I gasped softly. "I-I think you need to leave."

His face fell. "But Danny…"

"_Leave_," I insisted. I could feel the tears coming back.

Josh looked down, frowning, but he stood. He glanced up, looking straight at me. "I ain't givin' up. I'm gonna get ya back."

I closed my eyes, turning my head away. There were footsteps, and then the door shut. Again, there were voice, and the front door shut. I tensed as a car started. They were leaving. I held my breath, listening for my father's voice. Footsteps sounded, getting louder as they came nearer. I stood, sucking in a breath.

Fear clutched my chest as he pounded on the door. I glanced around for something—anything to protect myself. When I spotted the window, I didn't think twice. I flung it open and crawled onto the sill, keeping myself from looking down.

"What are you _doin'_?" a familiar voice asked. I jumped, gasping as I clutched whatever I could hold onto.

I forced myself to look down, glaring at the boy standing on the lawn. "What are _you_ doing?!"

"Danny," Josh said, sighing.

"Go away!" I spat.

"Danny," Josh yelled. "What're ya doin'?"

"Go away!" I repeated, a little more forcefully.

He ran a hand through his hair. "Danny!"

I closed my eyes, focusing on my breathing. "He's coming for me. I-I don't wanna get beaten today."

I heard a soft growl. "Jump. I'll catch you."

"Josh—" I began, but the lock unclicked. I glanced back, my heart catching in my throat, to see the door opening. _You better catch me_. I thought, closing my eyes and letting myself fall.

Before I knew it, those strong, warm arms were wrapped around me. Arms I had missed. "There," he chuckled. "See?"

"Put me down!" I hissed, opening my eyes and scrambling away from him.

Hurt flashed through his eyes, but I pushed the guilt down. "I love you, Danny." He stated, stepping towards me.

"Sshh!" I said, glancing up at the window.

"No," I grabbed his arm and dragged him around the corner. "Danny, I love you."

"Will you be quiet!" I growled, swallowing those words myself.

He shook his head. "No. I will not. I want everyone ta know. I LOVE—"

I slapped my hand over his mouth. "Ssssssshhh!" My heart replied to that glint in his eyes and I stepped away from him. "I need to get away from him. I don't know what to do." I turned my back to him, crossing my arms over my chest, willing my heart to stop pounding.

"Come with me." He said as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

"With you?" I scoffed, raising an eyebrow as I turned back to him. "Ha!"

His jaw clenched and that look flashed across his face again. "Danny, trust me." He pleaded, taking a step towards me.

I stepped back, scowling at him. "Trust you? I tried that once."

"What're ya talkin's about?" Josh glared at me, anger and confusion swirling in his eyes. "I never did anythin' ta you. I love you!"

"Shut up," I snapped. "You _kissed_ her. You don't love me. You only used me to get to my sister!"

"Is that what this is about?" he rolled his eyes, sighing. "I love _you_, Danny Kimble. Yer sister kissed me." He stepped forward wrapped his arms around my waist. I put my hands on his chest to keep him away. "And I pushed her away. I can't see any other girl but _you_."

I pushed him away with all my strength, and he stumbled backwards. "_Liar._"

"Believe me, Danny!" his voice almost sounded begging. "_I love you_."

"Would you quit saying that?!" I snarled, my fists clenching.

"I ain't gonna quit sayin' it until ya know it's true."

My jaw clenched. "Go away."

He smirked. "I'll take ya with me."

"Drop dead." I spat, whirling around to stalk away from him.

He grabbed my arm and swung me around to face him. "You wouldn't want that, would ya?" He asked in that arrogant voice, but something in his eyes was serious.

I ripped my arm from his grasp, surprised that he let me. "Go die in a hole."

"Harsh." He raised an eyebrow.

Suddenly the door was thrown open and I instinctively jumped towards him. He took my hand, tugging me. "We've got ta go, Danny."

I tried pulling my hand back, but he held onto me, his eyes hardening. "I ain't going anywhere with you!" I yelled a little too loud.

"Would ya rather take a beatin' fer it?"

I glanced back at the door and heard a gun cock. I turned back to him, scowling. "I hate you."

He frowned. "Glad to hear it. Let's _go_."

He tugged me back into the canopy of the trees. He didn't run, but walked quickly. I tried getting my hand back, but his grip only tightened. It wasn't long until the trees broke and his house came into view. I stopped, digging my heels into the ground. Josh stopped as well to my surprise, muttering something to himself. He turned to me, dropping my hand. He gazed at me and stepped forward. I stepped back, finding myself pressed up against a tree.

Why did this always happen to me? I closed my eyes, trying to push the memories from my mind and focused on my uneven breathing. His hand brushed my arm and I soon felt his breath on my skin. He had trapped me with his arms. "Wh-what are you doing?" I choked.

"Sometimes," he gulped, "ya just gotta throw her against the wall and kiss her for all she's worth. Well, that's what I'm doin'."

_You're certainly not kissing me. _I thought involuntarily. Then, against my will, forgotten images rose up. "I-I-I- stay away from me!" I tried pushing him away, but I could no longer find my strength, and my hands hung limp on his chest. My breath hitched and my shoulders began to shake.

"Danny?" he soft voice asked.

"P-Please don't hurt me," I begged, my lower lip quivering.

"Danny?" he repeated, worry lining the edges of his voice.

"P-Please," I begged, no longer hearing him. "G-Go away. P-Please don't. P-P-Please."

I couldn't open my eyes, but the tears squeezed through anyway. Suddenly, a rush of cool air hit me and I forced my eyes open to see Josh stumbling away from me, confusion overtaking his expression. I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding and I backed away from him. I turned, staggering into the yard. I collapsed on the ground, letting the tears flow freely.

"Danny…" Josh said, and I heard him approaching me from behind.

"Stay away from me!" I yelled, swallowing the tears.. "I'm not your girl toy anymore, aright? So congratulations, you got the mute kid to talk and trust you. Hey, you even got her pretty sister wrapped around your finger! Yey you. Go throw yourself a party. Just leave me alone. I don't want to be hurt anymore."

"Danny…" he repeated, his fingers brushing my shoulder.

I flinched away from him. "You were the first boy I really trusted. The first one I really spoke to. You were my first kiss, and you showed me how to love myself, too. I see what a fool I was now, okay? You can quit your little game. It's over. You won."

"It ain't over!" he growled suddenly.

I stood, wiping my tears and faced him with a glare. "You won, Josh! Isn't that enough?"

Determination flared in his eyes. "No, I didn't win. The only way I win is if I have _you_. This ain't just a game, Danny. I've told ya bafore and I'll tell ya again until ya believe it. _I love you_. I always have. I always will."

Something inside me snapped, and the tears flowed through again. "How can you be so sure?"

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life," he said, his eyes softening. He thought he had finally gotten through to me. But he couldn't. I would _not_ let him hurt me again.

"I didn't ask that. I asked how."

"Love is a feeling, Danny," Josh explained, stepping closer to me. "Just like ya know when yer angry, sad, or happy, I know I'm in love."

I looked down, Destiny's face flashing in my eyes. "Must be a great feeling to love a beautiful girl."

"Not really," he sighed. "It ain't complete unless she loves ya back."

"I'm sure Destiny does."

He growled, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "I don't care a lick fer Destiny! Why can't ya get that through yer thick head?! It's _you_ I care fer, darlin'. Yer my one true mate. Not her. Not anyone else. _You_."

My heart stopped a moment, and I wanted to believe him. For a second, I _did_ believe him. "I won't say it." I muttered, but my heart fluttered.

"That's okay," he smiled. "As long as ya believe me, that's okay fer now."

I gasped as he pulled me to him, wrapping me in a hug. His mouth ran along my jaw, kick starting my pulse. "Besides," he breathed, "Destiny ain't really my type. Yer sweet and innocent—"

"Innocent?" I scoffed. "Ha!"

He pulled away, studying my eyes. "What're ya talkin' about, Danny?"

I stuck my chin up a bit higher, my jaw clenching, ready for the rejection that I was about to get. "I ain't a virgin, Josh. Happy?"

His eyes widened and he stepped away, his hands dropping to his side. "Wh…what? B-but—you said—"

I turned away, sucking in a breath. "I know. And when I did, it was true. But things change. People change."

"You betrayed me," he whispered more to himself than me, but I felt my heart tear anyways.

"_Betray_ you?" I hissed, tears clouding my vision as I swung around to face him. "I hardly _knew_ you! To me, you were just a weird wolf! A figment of my imagination, maybe! I didn't have any ties to you! Don't act like I did."

He looked up, his eyes blazing. "We're _mates_, Danny. Tell me you didn't feel _somethin'_, anythin' the first time we really met, and I'll let ya alone."

I clenched my jaw, looking away. I remembered dreaming about his arms, the way they could hold me. I remembered thinking how beautiful he was, and how he would never be mine. Josh turned, pinching the bridge of his nose and took a few steps. "Who was it?" he asked softly.

I glanced up. "Wh-what?"

He turned, his eyes blazing with hatred. But it wasn't directed to me. I knew that somehow. "_Who was it_?" he asked a little more forcefully, growling to himself.

I closed my eyes, willing myself not to cry over this again. "I…I don't know."

"How do you not—" he growled and then gasped softly in horror. "No, Danny. _No_… no… Danny…" He growled loudly, angrily. Angrier than I had ever heard him before. "I swear I'll kill whoever—"

"Whatever," I said, cutting him off. "I-I'm leaving."

"Danny! Wait!" he called, grabbing my wrist. "Danny, please. I—I didn't know. I swear I wouldn'ta brought it up if I'd a known."

I ripped my hand from his, growling, "You think I _wanted_ this to happen, Josh? You think I _asked_ to be raped by some guy my father sold me to? You think I wanted _that_ to be my first experience? Well, news flash, _buddy. _I _didn't._"

He flinched, his face twisting in pain. "Danny," he said, reaching for my hand.

But I pulled back, shaking my head as I backed away. "Just leave me alone, Josh. Just…" I swallowed a sob, turning and fleeing as he called after me. I ignored him, biting the inside of my cheek.

I made it to the edge of the road before I broke down, letting the tears fall. I crossed my arms over my chest, looking down at my feet as I slowed to a walk. The road suddenly lite up with headlights, but I paid it no mind. The car rushed past me, but the sound of its engine never died. I glanced up, my heart stopping as I looked down the barrel of a gun. "Get in the car," a deep male voice growled. "_Now_."

I gulped, for I had no choice but to obey.

_**Don't lie. I know you hated it. And you're probably freaking out right now, right? Well, calm down. So, where should I start off with Josh's POV next chapter? Review, please (: **_

_**And sorry it was so short. **_

_**~Anni12**_


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